Fire Behind Blue Eyes
by bluetarako
Summary: Zuko's temper is legendary, but his new prisoner is beating him at his own game. What will happen when he is outmatched by a stupid waterbender? [Zutara] COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

_This is only the first chapter. For some reason, my first chapters always start out rough, but it does get better, I promise._

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Avatar: The Last Airbender, Zuko and Katara would already be together! So would Aang and Toph, as a matter-of-fact. Hmm..

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Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Toph. An odd group of people, if you got a good look at them. A Water Tribe warrior, a waterbender, an earthbender, and the last airbender. All they needed was a firebender to complete their group. Too bad the good ones were in short supply. There was one old man that Toph seemed to like, but unfortunately for them he was the uncle of the exiled prince that had been chasing them forever. Tonight they were camping on an island to let Appa rest. He had been flying for 2 days straight and they were almost to the mainland, but Appa was too tired to make it any further than where he landed.

"I'm hungry!"

"Sokka, you're always hungry."

"Why don't you go find us some food?"

"If you would stop eating it all, we would still have some!"

"Are you blaming me for our lack of supplies?"

"Yes, I am!"

"Guys, stop fighting! Let's go, Sokka. We can find some food and Katara can start the fire."

Sokka stood up and crossed his arms before stomping off into the woods, Aang trailing behind him. Toph looked in Katara's direction. "I think someone needs an attitude adjustment," she laughed.

"Yes, he does."

She stood up and started wandering around looking for sticks to start their fire. She didn't want to make one too big because it would be noticable from the ocean, that is, if Zuko was still chasing them. She had a feeling he was, but they hadn't seen him in a couple days. That didn't mean anything though. If anything, it worried her.She continued along the beach lost in her thoughts, picking up a stick here and there unconciously.

_I'll save you from the pirates._

She let out a small gasp at the memory of that day, that moment. She looked around, half expecting to see him standing in front of her. Nothing. She looked in her arms at the sticks she gathered. She only had 4 of them. With a sigh, she kept walking down the beach. The sky was slowly starting to get dark, but the sun was still out well enough to see for a little while.

_Maybe in return, I can restore something you've lost._

_That bastard._ She wasn't sure if he knew what that necklace meant to her, but he knew it meant something or he wouldn't have used it the way he did. She rubbed the place on her neck where her mother's necklace usually hung. How she hated that night. He taunted her with it, dangling it inches in front of her nose knowing she couldn't get it from him, yet.. there was something strange in his voice that night. It sounded almost flirty, taunting, maybe a little teasing? She wasn't sure that man could be capable of such emotion, but she had witnessed fear from him when his uncle was shot down by lightening from that evil girl that was now chasing them. She knew that his uncle was his weakness, that girl knew it too somehow.

_Snap!_

_What was that?_ She whirled around and realized she couldn't see Appa or Toph anymore. She had no idea how far away she had wandered, but it was further than she wanted to. Good thing she was beside the ocean if she needed to fight. She looked frantically around for the source of the noise, eyes darting through the trees in the woods next to her. Katara backed away slowly towards the ocean, hoping it was just her mind making her paranoid.

"I'll save you from the pirates."

"Who's there?" she shouted into the empty-looking woods. _Was that my imagination speaking again? It sounded so real, but it did the last time too. La, I'm going nuts!_

"Missing your friends, aren't you?"

Katara spun around and ran full speed to the water's edge before turning to see a form step out of the woods. She recognized his voice, but it was getting too dark to see clearly. "Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want from me?"

"Tsk, tsk. I thought surely you wouldn't forget me, as many encounters as we've had." The figure continued to come closer to her, making her back into the water.

"Don't come any closer," she said, readying a water whip. She glanced around to see if anyone else was nearby to help, but she couldn't see anything now. She looked back at the figure standing before her just as a fireball lit up in his hand, lighting his face up. Her eyes grew wide in horror and shock and she could barely speak. "Zuko.." she finally managed.

"There you go. I knew you wouldn't forget me, Katara."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know more about you than you'd expect." His eyes narrowed in the light of his fireball, his brow furrowed. "Where's the Avatar?"

"I'm pretty sure we've been through this before, haven't we? You know I'm not giving him up, I don't see why you're still trying."

"Persistance can pay off after a while."

"Are you really prepared to disgrace yourself by losing to a girl again?"

"Don't fool yourself, Katara. You couldn't beat me again if my hands were tied behind my back. I've been practicing since we last fought."

"And I haven't? In case you haven't noticed, it's nightfall. I'm a waterbender. Put two and two together, Zuzu."

"Don't _call_ me that!"

"Aw, did I hit a nerve in the poor little princy-poo?"

"You sound like my sister. Let's see if you fight like her as well!"

Zuko shot his fireball at Katara's face, but she dodged it without an effort. "What was _that_? Come on, I've seen you fight better than that," she taunted.

Her water whip snapped at his feet and he jumped back a step. He threw fireballs one after the other at her, but she pulled up a water shield and turned them to steam. She kept up her shield with one hand and formed a couple large ice spikes behind it with the other. The second his attacks stopped, her shield came down and the spikes were hurled at him. One hit the sand next to him, but the other hit his boot. It penetrated the armor of the boot, but didn't quite make it to his foot inside.

"You bitch!"

"That's what you get for picking a fight with me, Zuzu."

Zuko growled at that horrid childhood nickname, secretly wondering where this peasant heard it from, and continued hurling more fireballs at her, but she just made another water shield. His attacks stopped for a second and she dropped her shield and gasped. He was right in her face. He grabbed her wrists before she could do anything else and attempted to drag her out of the water. She fought back, of course. She kicked and screamed and jerked and spit at him but he wouldn't let go. His hands were heating up the moreshefoughtuntil they burned her skin and she cried out in pain.

"Stop fighting and this will be a lot easier."

"You bastard! I hate you!"

"Good," he smirked. He jerked her around in front of him, still holding her wrists, their noses almost touching. Her blue eyes refused to shed tears, to show weakness, to let him win. The moon was almost full and shining in her eyes as she glared into his. "Stop fighting and it won't hurt so much."

"Let. Me. Go."

"No."

He spun her around, almost enough to make her dizzy, and grasped her shoulders tightly and pushed her forward. She walked for a bit until his grasp loosened ever so slightly, then she broke free and tried to make a run for it into the woods. He lunged at her and grabbed her foot, sending her sprawling into the sand and knocking the breath and conciousness out of her. He sighed in frustration and muttered under his breath before picking her up and carrying her the rest of the way to his ship. He took her below and placed her on a cot in the holding cell. She was certainly easier to stand when she was unconcious. He thought for a second before pulling a blanket out and covering her up.

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"Where's Katara? It's late, she should be back by now!"

Toph was sitting next to the small fire that Aang had managed while Sokka paced back and forth. She looked in the direction his vibrations were coming from. "I just know that she went off to find sticks for a fire. She went that way if it helps any." She pointed out in the direction Katara left.

"But she could be long gone by now! She could've been eaten by a platypus-bear or kidnapped or knocked unconcious somewhere or murdered. Anything could've happened to her!"

"Sokka, calm down. Katara can take care of herself. Besides, it's almost a full moon out tonight. Her waterbending is strong, she can handle whatever comes at her." Aang held out a stick with a fish on it and Sokka took it.

"Maybe you're right, Aang," he managed with a mouth full of fish. Food always seemed to comfort him. "If she's not back in a couple hours, we're leaving to find her, okay?"

Aang and Toph just nodded. They were worried about her too, but Sokka was always more worried. She was his only sister, his baby sister. He promised their father he would take care of her and look out for her when he went off to the war, now she was lost in the woods of an island that they knew nothing about.

They said nothing for the next couple of hours, just sat around staring into the fire and worrying about their friend. Sokka looked up in the sky and stood up. "Come on, let's go. She's not back, we're going to find her."

Aang and Toph stood up and followed him down the beach, Momo riding on Aang's shoulder chittering away. They called her name and kept walking down the beach. Aang was walking next to the water when he noticed a big ice spike on the ground. It was poking out like it had been shot.

"Hey Sokka, you'd better see this."

Sokka ran over and saw the spike. "Someone has her. She fought with someone here and now she's gone."

"Fire Nation."

Aang and Sokka turned to face Toph. "What?"

"I smell smoke and.." she sniffed again. "..and a hint of spice?"

"Aang, can you see any footprints?"

"No, it's too dark. We'll have to wait until the morning to go after her."

"No! We have to leave tonight or we'll lose her altogether!"

"Appa can't go anywhere until he's rested!" Aang yelled. The beach got quiet before Aang turned and started back to their camp, the other two following. Aang and Sokka sat down next to the fire and Toph bended herself a tent and went to sleep.

"We'll get her back, Sokka. Don't worry."

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Zuko's ship was surrounded by ocean when the sun peaked over the horizon. He was on deck with half a smile on his face, watching the sun rise and thinking about the events of the night before.

_I have you now, Avatar. You will come to me to rescue your little friend and I'll catch you so I can go home._

"What's got you in a good mood this morning, Prince Zuko?"

"Who said I was in a good mood?"

"The smile on your face." Zuko wiped it away and his face went blank. Iroh watched him with slight curiosity. "What happened last night?"

"I got the Avatar's waterbender girlfriend. Now it's just a matter of time before he turns himself over to me."

Iroh sighed and shook his head. He wanted so badly to tell his nephew that not even the Avatar would allow for him to go home now. His father didn't want him back, but Zuko refused to believe that. He needed someone with courage and an attitude as big as his own to explain that to him.

"I'll go see if she's awake."

Zuko turned and walked down below. Iroh stayed on the deck and sipped at his tea. A couple minutes later, he was about to go down to check up on his nephew when a very agitated and ear-splitting scream came from below them, ringing through the halls, up the stairs, and out on the deck where Iroh stood. He smiled and sipped his tea again.

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**My other chapters, in addition to being better, will also be a bit longer. I'm not a fan of my chapters being under 3,000 words.. I'm odd like that. My usual fans, you know the routine! My new fans, this is the routine: R&R!**

**Jenn**


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, I know a couple of you said that the first chapter wasn't as bad as I made it seem, so this one should clear up a few things. Katara has an attitude and Zuko isn't helping much. One wrong word and you'll see how she reacts._

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"Uncle, she's not cooperating!" Zuko barked as he crossed the deck of his ship to his uncle. "She's refusing to talk so I refused her any food until she does. I want you to keep checking up on her."

Iroh watched his nephew storm off to find the captain before he went downstairs to talk to the girl. He found her huddled in the corner of a cell below. "I'm sorry for my nephew. He can be quite the pain sometimes." He unlocked her cell door and stepped in. "Would you like a more comfortable place to stay?"

She looked up at him, her eyes puffy from crying, and nodded. He helped her up and led her to a room down the hall from his and the prince's. He unlocked the door and opened it, allowing her to walk in before him. She looked around, admiring it. There was a small closet and a dresser on one side. On the other, there sat a small desk and chair. There was a bed in the middle with a window over it. At least I can see the ocean, she thought. She walked over to the bed and laid down, Iroh following her into the room. He sat in a chair next to her bed.

"I really am sorry about your predicament, Miss.."

"Katara."

"Miss Katara. You can call me Uncle Iroh."

"Thank you. How can you be related to that whelp of a prince? You are nothing alike. How can you even stand to be around him?"

"He has his good moments. He's not all bad. I hope that one day you'll see that side of him."

"I'd rather not see him, period. He's a jerk and doesn't deserve company such as myself."

Iroh laughed. The girl had humor, he liked that. "Well, since you're talking now, I'm going to get you some food. I'm sorry I have to lock this door for now, Prince Zuko would scold me for sure if I didn't. I will return shortly."

Katara nodded as he left, locking the door behind him. She sighed and stood up. She walked to the dresser and opened a drawer, but there was nothing in it. "Should've guessed." Nothing in the closet either. She sat down behind the desk and started looking through its drawers. In one, she found some paper. She took a piece out and, using the pen she found sitting on the desk, started drawing. She moved the pen as smoothly as she moved the water when she was bending. She didn't know what she was drawing, but it was coming out quickly. When the pen stopped moving, she looked down at the paper. She got frustrated and quickly wadded up the paper and threw it across the room, almost hitting Iroh as he stepped through the door with her food.

"Something wrong?" he asked, setting her food down in front of her at the desk.

"Yeah, I'm trying to draw and what's coming out is the complete opposite of what I wanted." She looked at her food. Soup, fruit, and tea. She loved tea. "Thank you, Uncle Iroh." She felt odd calling him 'Uncle', but if that's what he wanted then she wouldn't say anything.

"It's my pleasure, Miss Katara," he smiled. "If you need anything, just call for me." He started to walk back out and noticed the paper she had thrown. He picked it up and walked out. He unwadded it as he walked out on to the deck and smiled at it. It was an uncanny likeness to his nephew. He leaned on the rail, looking at it, when Zuko walked up from behind.

"What's that?"

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like me."

"There you go," he chuckled. "Our new lady friend drew it."

"How is she drawing in a cell, Uncle?"

"I moved her to the empty room down the hall from us. I figured she would be more comfortable and willing to talk in there and I was right."

"I swear you people don't know how to treat prisoners. I put her in the holding cell for a reason. She's a waterbender, and a fairly strong one at that. She could easily get out of a room like that if she wanted to. I'm taking her back."

"Zuko, let her stay in there. If she gets out, we have plenty of men who can take care of her. And besides, where would she go? There's no land in sight."

Zuko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, Uncle. She can stay there, but if she gets out I'm blaming you."

"Fair enough, nephew."

"I'm going to practice. Don't forget to check up on her every once in a while. Since you moved her, she's your responsibility."

Iroh nodded as Zuko wandered off to the training room.

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This time, Katara paid close attention to what came out of her pen. She paused for a second to sip at her tea, then went right back to her brother's parka. When she was done, she smiled at her creation. It was almost a perfect picture of her little gang, the only thing that was missing was her. She felt the tears building up behind her eyes, but fought them back. Weak wasn't an option in her situation. Instead, she turned her sadness into anger at the man who kidnapped her. She growled and stood up, punching the wall in front of her. To her surprise, it dented.

"Ugh, I can't believe I let that imbusil catch me! I should've been able to take him, it was almost a full moon last night!" She paused for a second to think about what she just said, a smile crossing her face. "But tonight _is_ a full moon. I wonder if I could get under his skin enough to make him battle me again."

She faced the wall with the window and pushed and pulled the water on the other side of it, rocking the ship. She kept it up for a while until she heard her door slam open and felt the room heat up to an almost unbearable temperature.

"What are you trying to do, peasant?"

She smiled and turned to face Zuko. "Oh, just practicing. I have to do it somewhere, and since I'm not allowed on the deck I thought I'd do it from here."

"You're trying to flip my ship."

"If I did that, I would go down with you. Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

"Yes."

"At least I'm a better bender."

She watched as his eyes flickered with the flame he now held in his hand. It worked. "What was that, peasant?"

"I said, at least I'm a better bender," she repeated slowly, as if he were the stupid one.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Depends, do you want it to be?"

Just then, Iroh popped his head in the door behind Zuko. "Anyone for tea?"

"Oh, I'd love some, Uncle Iroh!"

She started towards the door and past Zuko when he caught her arm. "This isn't over, wench."

"Good, because I'd hate to see you when you're not mad. Besides, I'm having fun! We can pick this up after I have some tea with Uncle Iroh."

"Stop calling him that, he's _my_ uncle."

"That's what he told me to call him. Now if you'll excuse me, we have tea waiting for us."

She jerked her arm from Zuko's grasp and followed Iroh down the hall. Zuko was left standing in her doorway, watching them.

Iroh watched Katara as she came bounding down the hall after him with a big smile on her face. "What did you and my nephew talk about?"

"Oh, nothing really. I'm just trying to get under his skin which, it turns out, isn't all that hard to do!" she laughed. "I'm actually having fun with it. I thought being mad would get me somewhere, but this is funny."

Iroh looked at the girl. "I'm not sure you want to do that, Miss Katara. My nephew's temper is, well, legendary."

"Yeah, but I've noticed from our past encounters that the angrier he is, the sloppier his moves get. If I could slowly rile him up through the day and then get him to fight me tonight, I could beat him, with the help of the full moon of course, and he might let me go."

Iroh laughed. "I don't think it will be that easy. If there's anything I've learned about him over these past three years or so traveling with him, it's that he doesn't give up that easily."

"Yeah, my brother had to point that out right before I beat him in the North Pole for the second time."

They came to a small room lit with a few candles. There was a low table in the middle with cushions around it to sit on and a tea pot in the middle with cups next to it.

"Please, have a seat."

"What kind of tea are we having?"

"Ginsing, my favorite. Do you like it?"

"I love it."

"I'm glad. Zuko doesn't like tea so it's always nice to have company." He paused, as if pondering over somthing, before talking again. "How old are you, Miss Katara?"

She looked up at him and proudly declared, "I'm 15 now." Before she returned her gaze to the table, she looked at him curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. Just wondering, that's all."

She finished her tea and asked Iroh, "Can I go out on the deck or would Prince Charming have your head?"

Iroh laughed. "I can ask him, but I doubt he'll go for it because of your little arguement earlier."

"So.. I might as well go back to my room then, huh?"

He just smiled and nodded as she left him. She was walking back towards her room, and getting herself lost as well, when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"What are you doing wandering around alone?"

"Getting lost trying to find my room," she replied icely without turning around. "What are you doing stalking me?"

"Making sure you aren't trying to escape, peasant."

"Escape to where, your _highness_? I haven't been outside, but I don't think there's any land yet."

"Do you know who you're talking to? I will not be talked down to by a stupid Water Tribe girl like you!"

Katara spun around and held back a gasp when she saw how close he was to her. "Call me stupid one more time.." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. "Just because I didn't grow up with all the royal tutors that you had doesn't mean that I didn't get an education. My tribe may be small now, but we aren't uncivilized. At least we aren't heathens or barbarians that go around destroying innocent people's homes and killing anyone who stands up for what is right."

"Watch your mouth, peasant," he challenged as he stepped closer.

"Who's going to make me? You? I don't think you have the guts to hit me. I'm sure your mother brought you up better than that, even if she was Fire Nation."

"You will **NEVER **speak of my mother! I'm sure yours taught you better manners when talking to royalty, unless she is as stupid and ill-mannered as y-"

A sharp pain ran through the prince's face as Katara's fist connected with his jaw. His head was shot to the side as she hit him and it stayed there after her hand was brought down. Slowly, his own hand made it up to touch the spot she had hit and winced at the slightest graze of his fingertips against the gigantic bruise she left. His head finally turned back, his eyes locking on hers immediately. There wasn't any sign of fear or even regret in those sea blue eyes.

She grabbed his shirt and brought him down to her face and whispered in his ear, "For your own good, I'm warning you now. If you ever speak of my mother like that, I will not hesitate for a second to kill you. Got that?"

He hesitated, then slowly nodded. "As long as you return the favor," he whispered back.

She pushed him back and let go of his shirt before storming off down the hall without throwing him a second glance. In his shocked state, he just stood there with a hand on his jaw before finally snapping out of it and turning around to look for his uncle. He stormed out onto the deck, hand still covering his bruise, and found his uncle leaning over the side looking at the water.

"Do something with her immediately," he growled as he came up behind Iroh.

Iroh turned to see his nephew holding his face and noticed part of the bruise that his hand couldn't cover. It was that big. His eyes widened but a smile played across his lips. "I guess you said the wrong thing to her?" Zuko narrowed his eyes and glared at Iroh before looking away and nodding. "What did you say to make her do that?" he asked as he tried to pull his nephew's hand free of his jaw.

Zuko reluctantly pulled it away, but only long enough for Iroh to see it all, then he covered it back up. "She said something about my mother, then I said something about hers," he finally managed. He was hard to understand, due to the fact that his jaw was seriously swelling.

"I think you should go find the doctor and have him look at that. She could have broken it. A lot of strength bottled up in such a small package, don't you agree?"

Zuko jumped "hmph'd" as he walked away to find a doctor below. Sure enough, there was a broken jaw bone. He had to have it set, which hurt incredibly bad, then had to have his face bandaged. He made a mental note to himself to not leave his room until that stupid thing came off. He stalked off to his room, careful to avoid any crewmembers, and fell back onto his bed. His entire head was throbbing painfully, so he decided to take a couple of the pills the doctor had given him for the pain. Soon after, he was passed out on his bed falling deeper into a nightmare he prayed he woke up from.

_The waves were making the ship tilt so far, he thought they would flip for sure. The rain was pouring down so hard, he could barely see through it and he was sliding everywhere. Every step he took landed him flat on his back on the deck. He called out for his uncle, but couldn't even hear himself over the storm. He was panicking for the first time since he was trapped under the ice in the North Pole, but back then he knew what to do before he got too panicked. This was a completely different situation._

_He was looking around frantically for anyone, but no one was there. Then he noticed that there was a hole forming in the clouds where the sun was shining through. He watched it with interest before looking to where it was shining. A girl was standing in the middle of the deck. There was no rain falling on her, in fact, she was completely dry. He saw her long dark hair flying loosely around her downturned face, her flowing white dress danced around her. He beckoned over the storm for her to look up, but she was deaf to her surroundings._

_Suddenly, her head shot up, her blue eyes glowing in the sunlight. They stared at him, through him, threatening him as beautiful as they were. She brought her hands up to the sky and the storm stopped immediately, but she didn't dare move. He started towards her, determined to know who she was. Something was eerily familiar about her, he knew it. Before he could reach her, her hands shot out again and he was drowning in the ocean, having been swept off his own ship by a giant wave._

He jumped up, gasping for air and yelping in pain as his jaw was jerked open with his gasp. He wanted to scream at the pain, but held it back with everything in him. When most of the pain subsided, he noticed the light shining through his window onto a note on his desk. He pulled himself out of bed and half-walked, half-stumbled to it and had to sit down to read it.

_Prince Zuko-_

_I hope you slept well, Sleeping Beauty. You've been out since yesterday afternoon. Uncle Iroh thought it would be nice for me to write you a letter to apologize for knocking the shit out of you yesterday. I heard it was broken. I guess I'm sorry for that too, but you did deserve it._

_My mother was a very good woman. She was pretty and kind to everyone she met and didn't deserve to die the way she did. That day is the reason my brother and I hate the Fire Nation so much, but it's too painful and personal to go into detail with you. I just wanted to tell you why your jaw is broken and how to prevent it from happening again._

_I don't know what else to write. I guess it's long enough anyway so now you can get back to better things in life like bossing people around and yelling or whatever you do for fun._

_- the uneducated Water Tribe Peasant_

Zuko felt a wave of guilt wash over him for mentioning her mother like that. He almost knew what she felt, but no one knew what happened to his mother so he couldn't completely relate. Plus, she didn't go into detail so he didn't really know what happened.

He brushed all those thoughts out of his mind and threw the letter away, preparing himself to go out and command his ship, then his mental note jumped back to him and hit him in the jaw. He winced at the pain and laid back on his bed, sighing at the ceiling. The pain had gone down some, but it was still there and still bad. He made another quick mental note not to underestimate her again. He knew she was a powerful bender, but never thought she would go physical on anyone. She was, after all, a girl.

A knock came at his door, pushing him from his thoughts. "Who is it?" he called.

"The peasant girl," she called back.

He growled under his breath before saying, "What do you want?"

"To make sure you're okay. You've been in there for a couple days and I wanted to check up on you because, well, I'm responsible for your current state."

He could've sworn he heard her snicker through the door at the end of her sentence. "I'm fine, go away."

"The doctor wants to see you again today."

"Fine, go away!"

"He said noon would be fine."

Zuko jumped up out of bed and flung the door open to a smiling Katara. "I said to go away," he growled.

"It's almost noon and he wants to see you," she almost whispered. She was still smiling, examining the bandages on his face with her eyes. "Wow, did I really hit you that hard? I mean, I didn't have to heal my hand or anything after that."

He huffed and walked past her angrily. He heard her call something to him, but he was trying to ignore her.

'I'm in no mood to play games with this girl. I wonder if she's even worth the trouble now.'

_Shut up! Of course she is! She is our ticket to the Avatar, and he is our ticket home!_

'Yeah, but what if father doesn't want me back.'

_Of course he does! You're his son!_

'But he banished me.'

The other voice in his head didn't reply, knowing that he was beat. Zuko shook the voices away as he approached the doctor. He just glared at the man, but knew it wasn't his fault he was here.

"Now, let's see if the swelling is going down any. Has the pain gone away at all?" Zuko nodded his head. "Good, good. The bruise is starting to heal, but it still looks pretty nasty. The bone won't be healed for a couple weeks at least, so I'd try not to talk if I were you." He nodded again. "Have you been talking?"

"A little."

"Well, try not to. The bone will heal faster if it's not moving and everytime you talk, it moves."

The doctor re-bandaged it and let Zuko leave. He wanted to run into Iroh in one of these halls to his room, but didn't. Instead, he found the one person he couldn't stand to be around.

"How's it looking, Captain Scarface?"

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**Well, what do you think? My Katara is a little badass! Yay! If I can, I'm going to keep throwing those little names for him in there lol. My most loyal fans, you know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	3. Chapter 3

_Wow, I feel so special! I'm getting more reviews than I thought on this story! I've had a few comments and suggestions and I appreciate them. I know the mean Katara seems a little OOC, but the whiny one that you see in so many "Zuko captures Katara" stories is even **more** OOC. She can hold her own in this story. For the fans of my last story, I had to bring one of my characters back in here to.. help the plot along lol. Here's the next chapter!_

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"Get out of my way."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll make you."

"What are you going to do? Let me break the other side of your jaw?"

"Just move, peasant."

Zuko tried to go around, but Katara blocked him and smirked. "You really aren't going to do anything, are you?"

He balled his hands up into fists and they started to steam. "What makes you think that?"

"Because you haven't yet."

"Are you looking for a fight?"

"No, I simply asked how your jaw was looking. You're the one who wants to fight, Zuko."

"You will address me as Prince Zuko."

"Um, no. The only time you will be addressed by your '_proper_' title is if it's sarcastic. See, there's a difference between you and a prince now: princes don't get banished to a journey that will never allow them to go home." Zuko growled and threw a flame at her head, but she just ducked and avoided it easily. "Oh, so you _are_ going to fight! How fun! Can we take it out on the deck so it's a fair fight, at least?"

"I _will_ capture the Avatar and I _will_ go home and the first thing I'm going to do when I get my throne back is finish off the South Pole with all its _stupid peasants like you_!"

"What did I say about calling me STUPID!"

She moved too fast for Zuko to block and not two seconds later, his eyes flashed red and he was on the floor. Hefell on his knees gripping his stomach and chest, his forehead touching the floor in front of him. A tear made it out of his good eye as he tried to catch his breath and fight back the pain.

"I tried to warn you, but I guess it's typical of you not to listen. Don't. Call. Me. Stupid."

She turned and walked away, back to the deck where she would have Iroh clean his nephew up off the floor. She heard him yell something, but she couldn't quite make it out.

"Stupid water peasant!" he screamed as he punched the floor next to him, denting the metal and hurting his knuckles slightly. "Agni, why does she have to be so fast? Waterbenders aren't supposed to have any physical strength, it's supposed to be in their element." He growled out loud and got up slowly, holding onto the wall for support because the hit to the stomach and chest made him dizzy. When his vision was okay, he stormed out onto the deck, completely ignoring the mental note that was tapping in his brain. He didn't care if anyone saw his jaw, he was getting her back for that.

Katara felt heat coming from behind her and ducked as Zuko's flaming fist swung right over her head. She fell to the ground and swung her leg around, trying to knock him down, but he jumped just in time. They smirked at each other.

"Wow, you actually dodged a blow this time," she taunted. "I guess there's a first time for everything, huh?"

"No one gave you permission to roam my ship freely. Do you want to go back to the holding cell?"

"How about I do whatever makes me comfortable?"

"Does fighting make you comfortable?"

"Only with you, otherwise it's just not as fun," she taunted.

He threw a fireball at her and she rolled back, barely avoiding it. She jumped up and lifted her arms, bringing the water to her from the ocean. She shot it at him in a sideways stream. It was too low to duck and too high to jump over, so he got hit with it and slammed against the side of the deck. His jaw screamed at him, making him wince, but he got up anyway more than set on fighting. He threw a fireball and she threw a water whip, but neither made it to its target. Instead they slammed into a fire wall that had jumped up in between them.

"Enough!"

They looked to the voice to see Iroh standing there with him arms out, holding up the wall. Katara shot her arm out, sending the water flying back into the ocean, and Zuko closed his hand to extinguish his flame. Iroh let his hands down, taking the wall with them. He walked up and looked between the two out-of-breath teenagers.

"Zuko, go meditate."

"But-"

"Now!"

Zuko mumbled something under his breath but reluctantly stalked off to the meditation room. Iroh turned on Katara. She didn't look scared at all and he respected her for that, something it looked like his nephew would never be able to do.

"I could've taken him," she finally said, turning away to walk to the railing of the deck.

"That's what I was afraid of. The way you two are going, I'm afraid he'll be dead by the time we reach a port to restock supplies!" he joked, trying to lighten the mood some. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"He said when he captures the Avatar and gets his throne back, he's wiping out the rest of the South Pole.. and he called me stupid again. I punched him in the stomach and chest and came out here to find you. He tried to get in a sneak punch from behind, but did you know that when he gets mad, it gets really hot if you're anywhere near him? That's how I knew to duck, then it just went from there."

Iroh surprised her with a laugh. "It seems you have my nephew's legendary temper that I mentioned. Of course, from what I've seen so far, yours is probably worse. Maybe you'll be the one to straighten him out some."

"I try to be nice to him, I really do, but he's too stubborn for his own good."

"That, he is."

Iroh slipped his hands in his sleeves and stood next to Katara, watching the water rush by them. Without a word, Katara turned and walked back to her room. Iroh watched her walk away with a concerned look on his face.

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The flames grew bigger and smaller with each slow breath. He tried to keep his mind on his breathing and keeping calm, but his thoughts slowly kept turning to his dream. The dream he's been having every night since they left the North Pole. Since the Avatar slipped through his fingers once again. Since the same Water Tribe girl they have now beat him twice, even if he had his own victories against her. He hated losing, especially to her. His thoughts wandered to the days after that, the weeks after that. The day Azula almost had them tricked into going back to the Fire Nation with her. The day he left Uncle Iroh to go on his own. The day he and his uncle fought side by side with the Avatar and his friends to bring Azula down, and then turned down that girl's offer to help Iroh. The day those strange men hunted them down in that town in the desert on their way to Ba Sing Sei. Even the day that he and his uncle stole this ship and the '_Blue Spirit'_ threatened their way into a crew.

Then the girl from his dream popped into his head again. Who was she? The familiarity of her eyes was undeniable, but he still couldn't place her. He wasn't one to notice girls, especially at a time like this, but this girl.. this _dream_ girl was beautiful. She reminded him of the princess from the Northern Water Tribe, but her hair and eyes were darker. He opened his eyes and caught himself smiling. The flames on the candles were low enough to be out. He waved his hand across them and the room went dark until he opened the door and walked out.

"Are you feeling better?"

Zuko jumped around to see his uncle standing right behind him. "I'm fine."

"Miss Katara is in her room. I think you owe her an apology."

"For what?" Zuko snapped.

"Well, first for calling her stupid, and second for trying to sneak up and hit a girl from behind. She had the courtesy to apologize to you for your jaw and she even explained why she did it. Go apologize now."

Zuko didn't waste his breath arguing with his uncle. He knew he was right, but he still didn't want to do it. He thought maybe he could get away with heading that way, then sneaking into his room before he got there and not having to lower himself to apologize to that... thing. He walked away from his uncle and headed towards the 'waterbender's' (_and by waterbender's, I mean his own_) room. His hand touched the handle on his door, but he froze at his uncle's voice.

"I don't think that's her room, Zuko."

He grumbled under his breath and let go of his door and kept walking a couple doors down. He reached for the handle, but was stopped again.

"Maybe you should knock first."

Zuko took a deep breath to keep from yelling at his uncle and forced his hand to knock on the stupid peasant's door.

"Who is it and what do you want?" he heard her weakly call through the door.

"It's Prince Zuko and I'm here to.." he paused, not liking the taste of the words that were about to fall out of his mouth, but his uncle wouldn't let him leave until they were said, "..to _apologize_."

There was a long silence and Zuko was about to turn and leave when he heard her door opening. She just opened it, then turned to lay back down on her bed, mumbling a "Come in" before she did. He hesitantly walked in, looking to Iroh for help, but Iroh just waved his hands and motioned him in. He looked around her room and was caught offguard when he saw all the dents in the walls. "I'm sorry for punching you earlier," she said into her pillow, muffling it some.

"Are you- are you crying?"

"The walls started to hurt my hands after a while, I didn't know what else to do," she replied, lifting her face out of her pillow a little to look at him. She saw him tracing one of the dents with his hand, but he dropped it when he noticed she was watching.

"This is how you treat the room that my uncle was kind enough to give you?"

"Do you always have to fight?" she asked weakly. "I thought you were coming to apologize, not fight."

Zuko sighed and was about to walk out, but his uncle was right there giving him a stern look. He turned around and looked at the girl. She was laying on her stomach, face buried in the pillow again. Every couple seconds or so, he would see her body shake from where she was crying. It made him feel bad, but just a little.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. He was surprised at how sincere he sounded. Maybe it fooled his uncle. He turned to walk out again, but was stopped yet again by Iroh. He saw him mouth something that looked like 'Tell her why'. He clenched his fists and turned back to Katara and saw her sitting up some, her eyes puffy from crying. Another tear made it out, but she wiped it away angrily with her sleeve. "I'm sorry for calling you stupid and trying to sneak a punch in." This time when he turned, Iroh didn't stop him.

"Thank you," she whispered. If he heard her, he didn't show it. He stormed down the hall and into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Iroh poked his head in to see Katara. "Are you okay?"

"I will be," she told him, wiping away another tear. "It's just an easier way to let everything out, I guess. I'm going to use this method until my hand stops hurting enough to punch the walls again."

Iroh chuckled at this and started to close her door. He stopped before it closed all the way and asked, "Are you hungry? I could have some food brought in here for you, if you want."

She smiled at his generosity. "That would be nice. Thank you, Uncle Iroh."

"It's my pleasure, Miss Katara."

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Zuko flung himself across his bed on his back. He stared up at the ceiling for a while, lost in his thoughts.

'She said thank you, even after the way I treated her.'

_Because she's weak and she's too forgiving!_

'No, she's not weak. She was at one time, but not anymore.'

_She's still too forgiving and that's her weakness. Maybe it'll be her downfall._

'What's that supposed to mean?'

_Don't worry, I have a plan. Just leave it to me._

He confused himself with all the arguing in his head. He had a plan, but he didn't know what it was. All he knew was that it had something to do with Katara's forgiving nature.

'No, you don't mean..'

_You figured it out, then?_

'Using her weakness to gain her trust, then betraying her?'

_Good, you aren't as stupid as you look after all._

'That would mean I have to be.. nice.'

_You've done it before, surely you can do it again._

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He expected them to stop in front of his room, but they didn't. Instead, they kept going and stopped in front of Katara's room. His curiosity got to him and he peaked out the door and down the hall. He caught a glimpse of his only loyal Fire Nation friend before he walked into Katara's room. He watched and waited for him to come back out and stopped him when he did.

"Kiatoh, what are you doing?"

"General Iroh sent me to take food to the lady," he said with a bow.

"Did she say anything?"

"Just a thank you, nothing more."

"Okay, you can go."

He watched as Kiatoh continued down the hall and disappeared. They were about the same age and the reason Zuko liked him was because they both hated his father, who just happened to be Zhao. Kiatoh left his life in the Fire Nation to find Zuko, even helping him and Iroh steal the ship they were on. He helped 'persuade' some of the men to be the crew as well. He was a very good firebender, almost as good as Zuko.

He turned and went back into his room and laid down again, getting lost in his thoughts.

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Katara was caught offguard by the knock on her door. She was thinking about how she was sometimes too forgiving and that was her weakness, one that could easily be used against her. She looked up at the door, as if expecting to see who was on the other side.

"State your name and purpose," she said, trying to sound all official.

"My name is Kiatoh and I was sent by General Iroh to bring your food."

_Iroh was a general?_ "You may enter."

The door opened and the young man stepped through. His hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, much like Zuko's before he cut it off, but some of it was left down. He kind of reminded her of Haru, but with paler skin and beautiful golden eyes. To her surprise, he was wearing normal clothes. Red, yes, but no armor. Even Zuko wasn't wearing red anymore. He stuck to an Earth Kingdom green, as well as Iroh.

"Aren't you Fire Nation?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then why are you here?"

"Prince Zuko and I are friends. I'm helping him in his mission."

"To destroy the world?" He set the food tray down on the desk and started to leave, but was stopped. "Wait, what's your name?"

"You may call me Kiatoh."

"I'm Katara. Zuko's probably waiting for you. If he asks, all I said was 'thank you'."

She smiled warmly at him and he flashed her a small smile back before closing the door.

_He was cute._

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**Ooh, what do you think! For all you Zutara fans, don't worry. I'm the biggest Zutara freak ever, but in the next couple chapters you'll see why I had to do this. Old fans and new, you know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn** _does little happy dance_


	4. Chapter 4

_Wow, I checked the stats on this story and apparently people love it! One of the names I used in this chapter was suggested by **katara-water25**, thanks a lot! Thanks to everyone who reviews my story, it's great for a bad mood lol. I just finished writing Chapter 6 today and you guys will be very happy with where it's going. Well, before I give away too much, here's number 4!_

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"Are you going ashore, Uncle?"

"Of course! You never know what kind of deals you can find in these shops, right?"

"Fine. Who should we get to watch her?"

"I can watch her."

"You just said you were going into the town."

"She can come!"

"She's not coming."

"But what good is shopping if you don't have a shopping partner?"

"She's not coming."

"Do you think she'll get away? Do you doubt your old uncle's abilities?"

"No, uncle. I just don't think she deserves to go ashore with the way she's been acting lately."

Katara was at her door, listening to the entire conversation in the hall. She knew they were finally at the mainland and she knew if she was going to escape, it was now or never. She would wait for them to leave the ship, of course, but one way or another she was leaving.

"She might not act like that if you would be a little nicer to her."

She heard silence as if Zuko was actually thinking about this. Oh, how she hoped he would say yes! It would be so much easier to get away from Iroh in town than getting out of this ship! Wait a second.. Zuko was considering it? She thought she literally must've knocked some good sense into him. She almost laughed out loud at the thought, but they might hear her.

"Fine, she can come. But you had better watch over here.. and take Kiatoh with you to help, just in case. I'll not underestimate her again. I'm sure she's planning on some kind of escape."

She excitedly ran back to her bed and jumped on it, pretending she knew nothing about what was going on. She occupied herself with playing with her soft pillows when a knock came to her door.

"State your name and purpose." She was beginning to like the authority sound in her voice when she said that.

"It's Zuko and I'm here to get you."

"Get me for what?" she asked innocently.

"You're going into town with Uncle Iroh and Kiatoh today."

She got up and walked to the door, opening it enough to see him. "You're letting me go into town?"

"If you don't want to, that's fine. You can just stay here in your room with guards on each side of the door. It's up to you."

"I'll get ready! Thank you!"

Before she realized what she was doing, she jumped out and hugged him. She quickly let go and ran back in her room, slamming the door in his face and blushing like mad.

_Ahh! What did I just do?_

'You.. um, hugged him.'

_Why did I do that? I already knew he was going to let me go, why did I get so excited?_

'You like him, don't you?'

_NO! No, I can't like him! I hate him!_

'Then why are you blushing?'

_I- I'm not! I'm just.. really, suddenly hot. I need to get out of here, it's burning up! Besides, Kiatoh is the cute one._

'Whatever. I know what you're really thinking. I know you felt his built chest against you. If you didn't like it, I sure did.'

_Shut up!_

She stopped arguing with herself long enough to fix her hair up a little and run out.. right into Zuko.

"Whoa! Why are you standing right there?"

"I was waiting on you. I'm not letting you out of my sight until my uncle and Kiatoh have you with them."

"How thoughtful, glad you trust me," she said sarcastically as she brushed past him and started down the hall with him right on her tail.

"You haven't given me a reason to trust you. So far, you've been nothing but trouble for me in more than one way."

"Then why are you letting me out?"

"Uncle made me."

She knew he was lying, but didn't say anything. He obviously didn't want her to know that he could be nice sometimes. She guessed it had something to do with his pride. Soon, they were out on the deck joining Iroh and Kiatoh in the cool sea breeze. She inhaled deeply, loving every second of the smell.

"Miss Katara, so good you could join us!" Iroh called as he walked up to her.

"It's good to have a little freedom," she replied, watching Zuko walk off the ship.

"Well, let's go shall we?" he said as he led her off the ship, Kiatoh trailing behind them.

"What are we getting?" she asked curiously as they walked down the main street of the town.

"Well, we don't have much money left. Zuko took most of it to get supplies, but we have enough to buy some useless things," he chuckled.

"If you don't mind my asking, where are we going?"

"Right now, we're just wandering around waiting for your friend, the Avatar, to show up to get you."

"Well, that's a waste of time."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because we made a deal a little while back that if any of us got caught or seperated from the group, besides Aang, that we would continue on without them so he could keep training. He's got waterbending down pretty well already, so there was no use for me in the group anyway. Toph is teaching him earthbending and they're supposed to be out looking for a firebending teacher."

"Well then, Zuko will be disappointed, huh? Why haven't you told him this before?"

"I was waiting until we got to land so he wouldn't throw me over the side of the ship and leave me to my own."

"You were going to escape today, weren't you?" Kiatoh asked from behind them.

"I was planning on it. Why?"

"Just wondering why Zuko asked me to come along. Apparently you're a threat."

Katara had to laugh at that. "I'm a threat? Since when?"

"Maybe since you broke his jaw, knocked the breath out of him, knocked him against his own ship, and you back-talk him all the time, so eager to annoy him so he'll fight you and you can beat him again."

She laughed even harder, a tear coming to her eye as she gripped her stomach. "I'm a threat to _Zuko_? That's funny! Did he say that?"

"Not directly," Iroh said, "but we all know better."

He pulled her into a small dress shop, Kiatoh still following them. Katara was impressed at the quality of the material that was used to make the clothes in this shop. She was feeling the different fabrics, mostly the silks. She loved silk, although she could never in her life afford it. Iroh walked up to her with a dark blue and black dress.

"Try it on!" he eagerly said, shoving the dress in her hands.

"We can't afford clothes for me, I know we can't."

"Just try it on and we'll see what we can afford."

"Are you sure? I mean, you already know I was planning on getting away today. Why would you buy me new clothes?"

"Because I _want_ to."

Katara shrugged and went to try it on. Iroh and Kiatoh kept looking around the shop, Kiatoh not nearly as enthusiastic as Iroh. They looked up when they heard someone clear their throat. There she stood in the beautiful dress that had been picked out for her. It hugged her curves more than her usual outfit and it went down to her ankles. It was long sleeved and they belled out at the end and had a black trim around them. The black sash tied around her waist and the rest fell to the end of the dress to meet the black trim of the bottom.

"Wow.." Kiatoh whispered to himself, but it came out a little louder than he would've liked because Katara looked at him and blushed. He couldn't stop a blush from coming to his cheeks either.

"It's beautiful, Miss Katara! You look splendid in it!"

"Thanks, Uncle Iroh," she said quietly, blushing harder if that was possible.

"Here, take this one!" Iroh shoved another dress into her hands.

"Iroh, calm down! Are you always like this when you shop?"

"Unfortunately for my nephew, yes."

She laughed as she walked back to try on the next one. Iroh walked to Kiatoh and shook his shoulder, shaking him out of the daze he was locked in.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, um, yeah! I'm fine!"

"At least someone notices our pretty new guest," he joked, nudging Kiatoh in the ribs. "My nephew, on the other hand, has shown no interest in girls at all. He claims he has no time for them right now."

"I think there's always time for a pretty girl. Zuko is just.. too set on his mission to give them the time of day."

"That's my nephew, alright."

Their conversation was put on hold when Katara walked back out. This dress was by far the most beautiful dress ever made, in her opinion. She heard both of the men gasp at the sight of her, and she swore she heard the shop workers gasp too. The dress was a dazzling white that touched the floor, the sleeves were much like the ones on the last dress. The neck was low cut, but not so low that it was inappropriate. She felt, somehow, comfortable in this dress. Blue was her best color but, judging by the reactions from everyone who was staring at her, it was now white.

"Well..?"

Iroh and Kiatoh snapped out of it long enough to comment. Of course, it was more like they were stumbling over their words because neither really knew what to say without being inappropriate.

"Um, it looks-"

"It's nice, well, for-"

"-not saying that-"

"I'm buying it."

"Did you see the price? Are you sure you can afford it?"

She reached back and felt for the small price tag that was dangling somewhere behind her. When she found it, she showed Iroh and gasped at how inexpensive it was. It was almost like it was made just for her, the size and price and everything.

She walked up to one of the girls working in the shop, the tag held out in front of her. "Excuse me, why is this dress so cheap?"

The woman looked at the dress, then at the price tag. "No one in this town cares for white, so we had to mark it down to sell it. Are you interested?"

"Absolutely!" Iroh yelled across the shop. Kiatoh was keeping his eyes averted to the clothes on his right, pretending to be interested in them.

"Oh, thank goodness. We've had that thing for so long, we were about to throw it out."

Iroh made it up to them and placed a few coins in the woman's hand. "Miss Katara, why don't you go get changed back into your usual outfit so you won't ruin that one before you get a chance to show it off."

Katara nodded and went back to change. Iroh made his way back to Kiatoh, who was blushing still.

"I don't want to sound inappropriate, but she looked absolutely amazing!"

"Honestly, I have to agree with you. Keep it a secret? I'd hate to hear what Zuko would have to say if he knew I thought the prisoner was pretty."

"I think pretty is an understatement, but I won't tell if you don't."

"Deal."

They shook on it just as Katara was walking back out in her usual blue with the dress all wrapped up and under her arm. "Come on, boys. Let's go!"

They followed her out, confused by her sudden enthusiasm when just earlier she was going on about wanting to escape. As soon as they stepped outside, she was gone. They looked both ways, but didn't see a hint of blue anywhere.

"Zuko isn't going to like this," Iroh smiled. "Don't worry, you had nothing to do with this."

"I'm still going to hear about it."

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As soon as she ran out of the shop, she ducked into a nearby alley and hoped no one would find her. There were barrels of water all around her that were used to catch the rain that fell off the rooftops, though she didn't see much sense in them. The ground was going to get wet anyway, why have barrels?

She waited for a few minutes until she knew they were gone before she stepped back out onto the street. She smiled when she didn't see them, but her victory was short-lived for when she turned to run, she ran right into Zuko for the second time that day.

"Where are you going and where are your escorts?" he growled as he grabbed her wrists so she couldn't get away.

"You're still underestimating me, Zuko. They aren't very hard to get away from."

"Then you're coming back with me," he said, keeping a grip on one of her wrists as he dragged her through the crowds. She bumped into someone and jerked back on her wrist.

"Zuko, stop! I dropped my present."

He stopped long enough for her to pick up the package, then brought his face close to hers. "Don't use my name in front of these people. If you have to call me anything, call me Li."

"Why, are they out hunting you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes they are. Do you not know there's a price on my head? Don't use my name,_ please_."

Katara's face suddenly looked confused. Zuko looked at her the same way, then realized what he just said. He quickly turned around and continued to drag her through the people back to the ship. The crowd was thickening as they went, the afternoon was normally busiest in most places anyway. Zuko was getting frustrated with them, pushing and shoving people out of the way with his free hand.

"Ow!"

Katara jerked her wrist back and rubbed the dark red spot on it. Zuko turned around fast, expecting to see her running, but realized what he did. He didn't know he was doing that. She shot her glare up to him, still holding her wrist. He was about to grab it again when her hand shot out to the side and back, now covered in water. She put it over her wrist and it started glowing and when her hand was removed, the red was gone. She did all of this without taking her glaring eyes off of Zuko, which almost creeped him out.

"You burned me," she said angrily, but low enough so that only they could hear.

"You should keep up."

"I was keeping up just fine, you were just getting mad at the crowd and I was at the receiving end. Keep your temper in check, _El Blanko_."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's just go, I'm getting claustrophobic in this crowd."

"What?"

"I can't breath! Geez, are you that stupid? Please, let's just go!"

She stormed off ahead of him and he ran after her before he lost her in the people. He didn't take her wrist this time, she was going the right way and didn't try to run. They didn't say another word to each other until they got to the ship.

"Don't try anything stupid again," he whispered in her ear before he walked off.

A chill ran down her spine when she felt his hot breath on her neck, but she ignored it as she ran off to her room with her new present. She found Kiatoh and Iroh standing in the hall near her door.

"Hey."

"Miss Katara, what happened to you? We thought you were gone."

"Zuko found me right after I left you. He burned me too, but I already healed it."

"You can heal?" Kiatoh cut in.

She smiled at him. Very few people had been curious about her healing powers and she was all too happy to tell them about it. "Yes, I can heal. Only a few great waterbenders can. A great firebending master I met a while back said I was very lucky to have healing powers. He said he would trade elements with me anyday."

"Fire is a heavy burden, but it's not always as bad as people make it seem," Iroh responded.

"I know, but he hated it. He said he was cursed with it. He was Zhao's teacher and Zhao always used it to destroy everything."

"You're talking about Jeong Jeong."

Katara looked at Kiatoh, slightly confused. "Yeah, I am. Do you know him?"

"Not personally, but I heard my dad talk about him before he died."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No you're not, I'm sure of it. My dad was Zhao. Everyone hated him, including me. That's why I'm here with Prince Zuko."

"Wow, I really am sorry!" she joked, even managing a laugh. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to stay in my room before Prince Pompous loses his hot-tempered head."

They laughed as she walked past them into her room. She opened the closet and hung the dress in there and closed it again. She fell back onto her bed and just laid there, smiling at the ceiling. The weird thing was, she had no idea why she was smiling.

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**Things are only beginning to get good, oh yeah. Thanks a lot for reading, I appreciate the support! I already have the next chapter written, like I said, but I don't post the next one until reviews stop coming. I don't know why, I just like it that way lol. I'll post it soon though! You know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	5. Chapter 5

_Ah! I hardly got any reviews on the last chapter.. probably since I said I wouldn't put this chapter up until they stopped. Eh, it's cool I guess. This chapter is **SO COOL**! I hope you guys like it. Thanks to those of you who did review, this one's for you!_

_-----------------------------------_

_The waves were making the ship tilt so far, he thought they would flip for sure. The rain was pouring down so hard, he could barely see through it and he was sliding everywhere. Every step he took landed him flat on his back on the deck. He called out for his uncle, but couldn't even hear himself over the storm._

_He was looking around frantically for anyone, but no one was there. Then he noticed that there was a hole forming in the clouds where the sun was shining through. He watched it with interest before looking to where it was shining. A girl was standing in the middle of the deck. There was no rain falling on her, in fact, she was completely dry. He saw her long dark hair flying loosely around her downturned face, her flowing white dress danced around her. He beckoned over the storm for her to look up, but she was deaf to her surroundings._

_Suddenly, her head shot up, her blue eyes glowing in the sunlight. They stared at him, through him, threatening him as beautiful as they were. She brought her hands up to the sky and the storm stopped immediately, but she didn't dare move. He started towards her, determined to know who she was. Something was eerily familiar about her, he knew it. Before he could reach her, her hands shot out again and he was drowning in the ocean, having been swept off his own ship by a giant wave._

He jumped up and yelled out loud, waking Iroh and Katara both. It was sometime between midnight and dawn, but either way it was very dark outside. Katara peaked down the hall towards Zuko's room and saw Iroh doing the same.

"Is he okay?" she whispered.

"I don't know. It was probably another nightmare."

"Does he have them often?"

"Only recently, yes."

"Should we do something?"

"You can try. The last time I tried, I was almost burned to a crisp. You can handle your own if he tries something."

"I guess it's worth a shot." She tiptoed past Iroh and stopped in front of Zuko's door. "Should I knock?"

"No, just go on in."

Katara hesitantly and quietly opened the door. Zuko hadn't noticed her come in. He was sitting up in his bed with his head in his hands, staring into his lap. She tiptoed over to him and reached out to touch his bare shoulder when his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

"I'm fine. What are you doing in here?" He never looked up from his lap and kept his head in the hand that wasn't holding her wrist.

"Iroh wanted me to come and check on you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not with you, no."

"If not me, then who? You're not exactly one to open up to people."

"What about you? I haven't exactly heard you sharing you life story with anyone around here."

"That's because you're never around to hear it. Iroh and Kiatoh know plenty about me."

"What about your mother? Do they know about that?"

"I thought we had a deal."

"I'm not speaking bad about her, therefore not breaking our deal."

"Well, I don't want to talk about that. Only me, Sokka, and Aang know what happened that day and I'd rather keep it that way. It's not exactly the greatest memory to share with people."

Zuko looked up at her, her blue eyes flickering with the light of the candle that was lit in his room. "What happened that day that it's so horrible to talk about? So horrible that you have to automatically hate anyone loyal to the Fire Nation?"

"I don't automatically hate _anyone_, that's Sokka's job. I just hated you because you were always trying to kill us or capture Aang."

"Wait, what?"

"What?"

"You said 'hated'."

"Yeah, so?"

"Past tense, as in 'don't hate anymore'."

"Oh, well.. you've changed since the North Pole. I saw a completely different side of you that day we fought Azula, whenever Uncle Iroh was hit. I guessed you were human after all. I just wish you would've let me help."

Zuko looked back into his lap and let go of her arm. "So, are you going to tell me what happened?"

"You mean, you're actually going to listen?"

"If you listen to my dream and promise not to make fun or tell anyone. And close the door so no one can hear."

She closed the door and sat in front of him on his bed and told him everything. Much to her surprise, he did the same, and they didn't stop at the dream. They talked about everything they could think to talk about, both secretly enjoying the peace between them and not wanting to ruin it. They kept talking until they could see all of the room that the candle couldn't touch.

"Sunrise," she whispered. "You realize we just talked the entire night, right?"

"Surprisingly, it wasn't all that bad."

She blushed and quickly turned away when he looked up at her. She hoped he didn't see it. "Well, I'm officially tired now so.. I guess I'm going back to my room to sleep for a little while."

"Okay, goodnight."

"It isn't night anymore."

He looked out the window and half-smiled. "Okay, well then goodday."

She laughed and walked out the door, shutting it as quietly as she could before tip-toeing back to her room. Too bad life wasn't perfect. Iroh swung his door open as soon as she stepped in front of it.

"Good morning, Miss Katara! Did you have a nice night?"

She couldn't hold back a smile so she turned away, heading back to her room before yelling, "I'm going to bed, don't bother me!"

Iroh laughed at her embarassment before turning to his nephew's room. He opened the door to see Zuko still sitting on his bed smiling. He looked up at Iroh, the smile quickly hiding behind his mask of neutrality.

"You know-"

"Don't start, Uncle. I know what you're going to say and no, nothing happened."

"I wasn't even thinking that. It seems you don't know me as well as you think. I was just going to say that it seems Miss Katara affects everyone she comes in contact with."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your friend Kiatoh seems to have taken to her well. Now it looks as if you have too, finally."

Zuko glared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You can't deny the smile that was on your face when I walked in here. It was a genuine smile, Zuko, I haven't seen one of those in a long while."

"Don't you have more important things to do besides annoy me?"

"As a matter of fact, I do! Tonight is Music Night!" Iroh ran out to prepare and left Zuko to grumble something about stupid music under his breath.

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When Katara finally woke up sometime after noon, she wandered out onto the deck to see everyone doing something. She found Iroh and ran up to him to ask him about the commotion. "Iroh, what's going on?"

He turned to see her and smiled. "I was wondering when you would be up. Tonight is Music Night. We haven't had one in a while and I thought it would be appropriate. You can even wear your dress!"

"Well, I guess I can't let it go to waste, can I?"

"Do you play anything?"

"Sorry, no I don't."

"Well, can you at least dance?"

"I can dance a little. We Water Tribe peasants aren't as uncivilized as one might think. We do know how to dance."

"Is that so?"

Katara spun around to face Kiatoh. "That is so," she smiled.

"Then a dance, I will steal."

He bowed and kissed her hand, making her giggle and blush. He smiled at her before walking away to help keep up the ship. Setting up for Music Night was not the only thing they needed to do.

"I see you like Kiatoh."

"I don't know. I've tried to refrain from falling too easily for anyone since this one guy used and betrayed me. Besides, I hardly know him. I want to get inside a person's head and know them well before I have any kind of relationship with them."

"Like Zuko?"

"Yeah, like- hey, wait a second! Zuko?"

"I know you two were up talking all night last night. I think you're breaking his defenses finally. No one ever really takes the time to sit and listen to what he has to say. I try, but he just refuses to open up to me like I want him to. I know that you're the first person to know the story behind his scar without forcing it out of him."

"Really?"

"Really."

"But.. it's _Zuko_! I mean, we've been enemies for so long that it would be weird if we were even just friends, meaning the world is now officially nuts because I think that's where we're getting, huh?"

Iroh laughed and nodded at her. "Tonight, don't worry about any of that. I just want you to have fun. Besides, you're too young to be settling down just yet. You have your whole life ahead of you, just have fun and dance to my music."

"Okay, Uncle Iroh. If you insist." She started to turn to go back to her room when Iroh's voice stopped her.

"Oh, and another thing before you run off."

"Yeah?"

"Wear your hair down tonight. I've only ever seen it like that and it would please me to see you wear it differently with your new dress. Just tonight."

"Okay." She turned and walked back to her room.

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She looked into the mirror that Iroh had gotten for her in town after she left them. She slowly unbraided her hair and took the bun out, then took out her loops. It's been so long since she's seen her hair down that she looked so different. Her hair came down just past her waist and was very wavy from having it in a braid all the time. She didn't bother brushing it behind her ears, she thought it looked great down in her face. She just ran her fingers through it and let it stay wherever it fell.

She walked out of her room and started towards the deck. She could already hear the music playing and it was getting dark outside. She walked out on the deck and was greeted by the light of torches that were lighting the whole deck. She started walking out to find Iroh when everyone stopped and, once again, she heard gasps. What was it about this dress on her that made people do that?

Kiatoh was approaching her slowly, a visible blush painted across his face. "Would you care to dance with me, my lady?" he asked, holding his hand out to her and bowing.

"I would love to dance, thank you." She put her hand in his and he kissed it, making her giggle again.

_Winter, Spring_

_Summer and Fall_

_Winter, Spring_

_Summer and Fall_

_4 Seasons, 4 Loves_

_4 Seasons, 4 Loves_

She danced better than she remembered, surprising not only herself, but Iroh as well. He was watching them as he sang the song and, at the same time, wondering where his nephew was at.

Just as the thought ran across his mind, Zuko stepped out onto the deck. Iroh watched him look around and saw his eyes stop. He looked in the same direction and noticed that he was watching Katara dance with Kiatoh.

_It's about time_, he thought to himself as he watched Zuko.

He made his way over to the boy and put a hand on his shoulder. "If you want to dance with her, just ask. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Zuko's eyes snapped up to his uncle. "I- I don't want to dance with her. I was wondering why Kiatoh was dancing with her."

"Jealous?"

"No, Uncle, but she is still a prisoner and.. I think he's starting to like her."

"I don't think he's the only one, Zuko."

"What are you getting at?"

"I think you know. Just go ask her to dance."

Iroh nudged his nephew towards her and he took a couple steps before turning back to him. "Do I _have_ to?"

"If it makes you feel better, tell her I made you."

Zuko smirked and turned back to where Katara and Kiatoh were dancing. He slowly approached them, hoping Kiatoh would be done dancing with her before he got there. No such luck.

"Zuko, what are you doing here? Uncle Iroh said you hated Music Night." They had stopped dancing and she was staring at him curiously.

"He.. wanted me to.. askyoutodance," he mumbled too low to hear clearly.

"He what?"

Zuko sighed. He knew there was no easy way to do this. "He made me come ask you if you would dance with me."

Kiatoh looked as shocked as Katara. "Um, okay. Do you mind, Kiatoh?"

"No, I have no problem sharing a pretty girl with a friend." Kiatoh walked away, still watching them. Zuko took Katara's hand as a new song started to play.

"Do you know this one?" he asked.

"No, but can you keep up?"

"I can try."

"Don't be afraid of me," she teased as the music picked up. "Think of this as another challenge."

"That, I can do."

A half-smile flickered across his face as their legs started moving around each other, their legs and bodies in synch with each other and the music. They watched each other intensely so not to mess it up. She jumped and he picked her up and spun her and put her back down to have her twirl away, then right back into his chest, their eyes locking briefly before she spun away again. They took over the dance floor with their superior dance moves and techniques while everyone watched in awe, including Kiatoh who was a bit jealous.

They both called their elements into the dance, making it more exotic. It almost looked like a well choreographed fight. The flames danced around them, the water encircled them and doused the flames. Light blue flames were licking at Zuko knuckles, but didn't seem to harm Katara when their hands clasped together. Her white dress was flying around her, her long dark hair dancing around her face and her blue eyes gleaming through it all. Zuko was suddenly reminded of the girl from his dream. _Could it be?_ He shook his head and was brought back to reality quickly. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around him and they spun around before she bent back, her hands touching the ground and legs gracefully flying back to reach the ground behind her and she stood up. Zuko slid down in front of her on one knee and held out his hand, which she took. He pulled down on her hand and spun her slightly, bending her back over his knee, her head almost touching the ground, just as the song ended.

Everything was dead silent as everyone stared at the two teenagers in the middle of the 'dance floor'. The music had stopped completely, all the people on the deck were motionless, and the only movement was the smile that was growing across Iroh's face. Zuko and Katara were unaware of everything except each other. Their eyes were locked on each other's, her shimmering blue against his passionate gold.

Kiatoh cleared his throat, obviously annoyed with this, and the music slowly picked up again. Zuko helped Katara stand up and he bowed to her a little before running off to his room. She stared after him, noticing a blush on his face before he left. She was snapped out of her daze when Kiatoh grabbed her hand.

----------------------------------------

Zuko growled as he stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him. "I should've known! I knew that girl in my dreams was familiar, but why her! _AAARRGGHHH_!" He kicked his dresser, knocking it over and spilling out almost everything. He stopped destroying his room when he noticed something on the floor next to his knocked over dresser. His fists stopped flaming as he walked over to it and picked it up. His fingers ran over the blue stone.

'Wait, when did I get this back?'

_Who cares?_

'I should give it back to her. I know how much it means to her.'

_It's perfect! That way you can gain her trust even more!_

'Um, yeah. Perfect plan.'

_You aren't having second thoughts, are you?_

'No!'

_Whatever you say. Just make sure you don't ruin the plan._

Zuko finally took hold of his mind and stopped arguing with himself. He was tired enough as it was. He threw his shirt on the floor, crawled onto his bed and passed out, the necklace still held tightly in his hand.

----------------------------------------

"I'm really tired, I think I'm turning in for the night," Katara said.

Kiatoh held on to her hand as they stopped dancing and he walked her back to her room. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess all the dancing wore me out. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, goodnight." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving her to her room.

"Goodnight," she whispered to the empty hall. She looked down the hall towards Zuko's room and thought she should make sure he's okay. He left pretty fast earlier. She opened his door a little and noticed he was already asleep. There was one candle still lit so she decided to put it out, just in case it fell over and caught something on fire. She tip-toed across the floor, stepping over all the things he'd knocked over. She stopped next to his bed right before she reached the candle, noticing something blue in his hand. As quietly as she could, she stepped over the dresser and tried to get a closer look.

_My necklace?_

Katara reached out and opened his fingers just a little and sure enough, her necklace was laying in his hand. She hesitantly wrapped her own fingers around it but before she could pull her hand away, he closed his hand over hers. Her eyes shot up to his face, but he looked like he was still sleeping. He shifted in his sleep, but didn't let her hand go. She used her other hand to pull his fingers back, but his grip tightened.

"Stop, Kiatoh, she's mine," he mumbled in his sleep. Katara's eyes widened and a blush crept over her cheeks. _That's been happening a lot lately_, she thought. She tried to pull away again, but his grip tightened again. She jumped when she heard his voice and hoped he was talking in his sleep again. "What are you doing in here?"

She knew he was awake now. "I came to check on you. I saw you were asleep so I came in to put out the candle before it caught everything on fire and I saw my necklace in your hand. Why do you have it?"

His golden eyes opened sleepily and looked up at her. "I didn't steal it, if that's what you think."

"I asked why you had it, not how you got it."

"Oh, sorry. I guess I'm still asleep," he yawned. "I don't know why I have it. I don't even remember taking it."

"Um, can I have it back? Along with my hand?"

"Sure."

She looked at their hands, but he still didn't let go. "Um, Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

"My hand?"

"Oh, right. Sorry." He opened his hand, releasing hers. She quickly brought her hands up to her neck and fastened the necklace, more than happy to have it back in its rightful place. She was about to leave when she heard his voice again. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Do I look sick or something?"

"No, you just look worried about something," he yawned again. He sat up some, the blanket falling enough to reveal his bare chest. She looked away and fought back another blush.

"No, it's nothing, really. I can handle it."

"If you need to talk, I'm here."

"Um.. okay. Goodnight."

She walked out the door and ran to her room. Zuko smiled to himself. His plan was working out perfectly. Nice wasn't his thing, but he was good at pretending to be. He laid back down and drifted off to sleep again.

----------------------------------------

Katara woke up late in the night to the violent rocking of the ship. She didn't realize she fell asleep in her dress, but wasn't concerned with that right then. She jumped up on her bed and looked out the window. It was storming bad outside and she couldn't see any light from the town. She jumped down and ran down the hall to Zuko's room, knocking on it furiously and hoping he was still in there. Chances are, if there was a storm he was probably already on the deck.

She heard a noise come from behind the door and knew he was in there, so she opened the door. "Zuko, what's going on?"

"Wha?"

"Get up, there's a huge storm!"

"Hey, you're the girl from my dreams," he said sleepily. "Who are you?"

"What? Zuko, wake up! I can't see the town out my window!"

He shot up in his bed, fully awake now. "What?"

"I said-"

"I heard what you said. Let's go!"

He jumped out of his bed without bothering to put a shirt on first and, grabbing her hand, they ran down the hall to go out to the deck. He automatically slipped on the rain-covered deck and fell back into her, both of them falling. She got up as fast as she could and held her hands up over her head, bending the rain away from her. She grabbed Zuko's arm and pulled him under her make-shift umbrella. She used her feet to bend water away so they wouldn't slip on their way to the railing.

"Where's the town?"

"The storm must've pushed us out of the dock!"

"Why didn't the anchor hold us!"

"I- I don't know! The storm must be too strong!"

They were yelling over the thunder and crashing of waves and the wind wipping through their ears and hair.

"Why isn't anyone else out here!"

"I don't know! They must still be asleep!"

"Ugh, this isn't _working_!" Katara yelled as she threw her hands down, instantly getting soaked the rest of the way. "The rain's coming in sideways!"

Zuko's hair was matted to his forehead and the rain pounded down on his bare chest as he looked around frantically for anyone else. He was just waiting for the clouds to part like in his dreams. He looked at Katara, who was at the very front of the ship with her hands out over the ocean. His eyes slowly traveled up to the big wave that was about to crash over them. He thought for a second that she was doing it until he saw a small split in it before it crashed to the sides of the ship.

"I can't keep this up much longer!" she yelled over the storm, getting ready for the next big wave. "It's taking too much energy, they're too big!" She split the next one with a little more difficulty, but the one after that, she couldn't stop. She tried, but when it wouldn't budge, she ran to Zuko and grabbed him. The ship started tilting back and somehow turning to the side on its own. They held onto each other for dear life while running to the other end of the ship, but they knew there was no getting out of this. The wave came crashing down on them, flipping the ship and sending them into the ocean.

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**Dun dun duuuun! Oh, this is a great cliffhanger! It reminds me of one from my last story.. Anywho, when I wrote this, I went straight from the end of this to the beginning of the next chapter almost without stopping. It's so freaking cool that you'll love me forever! Maybe.. some of you might hate me until a couple chapters down, but it's all good, right? You know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	6. Chapter 6

_Ah, I love my fans! I got more reviews for the last chapter than my other chapters so far. Thanks alot, everyone! This story is really getting started and I'm loving where it's going, so keep reading and you'll definitely agree!_

_Oh, and since I haven't mentioned it in a long time, I still don't own **Avatar**.. but I'm working on it.. then I will rule you all with an iron fist! (I give you a thumbs up if you can guess where that's from)_

_-------------------------------------_

_Cough cough_

"Zuko!"

"Katara!"

"Where are you?"

"Over he-"

Zuko was dragged under by another wave, cutting him off. He quickly surfaced and shot a fireball in the air like a flare. He could hear her calling so he kept shooting them off, but he couldn't yell anymore. All the salt water he swallowed so far was scratching his throat and making it sore.

"Zuko!"

He looked towards the voice and saw her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but I can't see anything! It's too dark! I keep looking for land when lightening flashes, but no luck."

"Have you seen the ship anywhere?"

"No, not yet."

That made Zuko want to cry, but he couldn't do that, at least until they were out of danger. Katara saw a board floating nearby and swam up to it, pulling him along. They propped themselves up on it and soon the storm was calming down. Katara looked up at the moon and whispered a prayer to her friend.

"Yue, help us. Help us get somewhere safe. Help us survive this. Tell my brother and the others that I'm okay."

Zuko heard her and squeezed her hand to reassure her it would be okay.

-------------------------------------

Sokka jumped out of his sleeping bag with his warrior reflexes. "Katara.." he whispered into the night. He looked around and saw Aang and Toph stirring. "Sorry if I woke you guys up, I just had a dream."

"Me too," Aang said. "About Katara?"

"Yeah."

"I just heard a bunch of voices in my head, but one of them sounded like Katara."

Sokka looked at the earthbender and half-smiled. "In my dream, she was with Zuko-"

"-but they were in the ocean-"

"-and Katara was talking to someone named Yue."

"How did we all have the same dream?" Aang asked.

"I think Yue sent it to us to tell us that she's okay. Katara asked her to tell us she's okay."

"Who is Yue?" Toph asked the boys.

"She's the princess from the Northern Water Tribe. She gave her life to save the moon, now she is the moon spirit."

"Oh, okay. I can tell it's a sensitive subject, so I'll just go back to sleep. See you guys in the morning."

"Goodnight, Toph," the boys said together.

-------------------------------------

"Ugh, ow."

The sun wasn't high in the sky, but it was still pretty hot outside. The waves were splashing against their faces. Katara opened her eyes to be blinded by the sun, then quickly closed them again, but opened them back when she felt solidity under her. She looked around and saw water and sand and an unconcious Zuko.

She rolled over and buried her face in her sand-covered arms. She had the worst headache and backache and pretty much all-over-ache. Her throat hurt from where she laid on her neck wrong and she needed some fresh water and food soon. She lifted her head to see Zuko sprawled across the sand beside her, the board they'd been floating on for the last couple days was laying under his head.

She sat up and scooted next to him to wake him up. "Zuko," she managed to whisper. She shook his shoulder a little, then checked his pulse just in case. It was slower than normal, so she knew he had water in his lungs. She quickly bended it out and he turned over and threw up. Luckily for her, he turned the other way.

"I'll go find some fresh water and food. You can stay here."

"I don't need your help, peasant."

She sighed. "Are we back to that, Zuko?"

He didn't reply. Instead, he weakly climbed to his feet and stalked down the beach, running his fingers through his wet hair. She got up and started into the trees behind them to find a fresh spring or something.

When he was sure she was gone, he fell to his knees in the sand and let the tears come. The last time he could remember crying openly was just over 3 years ago, the day he was scarred for life. He looked out over the ocean as he cried as if looking to make sure it wasn't a dream, as if he were trying to find his ship sitting out there somewhere just waiting for him to come back. They were probably all dead. Uncle Iroh, his friend Kiatoh, everyone, and he held himself responsible for all of them because he made most of them them come.

He cried until there were no more tears left to cry, but his body wouldn't let him stop. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and wipped around to see her. He hated her. He hated her for being both his enemy and the beautiful girl from his dream. He hated her for seeing him cry, seeing him at his weakest.

"Hold still," she said calmly.

"What are you doing?" he snapped as he felt her touch the back of his head.

"Just hold still."

She jerked his head back around to face away from her and put her water-covered hand on the back of his head. He hated her for always being so forceful. After a couple seconds, the throbbing headache he didn't know he had just went away.

"What did you do to me, wench?"

"I just healed a big gash on the back of your head. No need to thank me, it's not like I saved your life again or anything," she replied sarcastically.

"Again?"

"Yes, again. You would've died earlier if I hadn't gotten the water out of your lungs."

"I told you, I don't need your help."

"I think you do. Look, you don't have to admit it out loud just as long as you accept it. Your uncle once told Toph that you always think you need to do things on your own, but he said there is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you. Not that I love you, but I do care."

"Why?"

"It's just my nature. I was basically the caretaker of my little group. They were my family and I did everything I could to help take care of them, whether they wanted my help or not. Toph was just as stubborn as you about getting help. She always wanted to do things on her own. She thought when people offered help, they were doing it because they thought she was weak because she's blind, but she is far from weak. After talking to your uncle, it was easier for her to except our help. I know you miss him, I miss him too, but the least you can do to honor his memory is to accept help when it's offered."

Zuko finally stood up and faced Katara. "So, what now?"

She grabbed his hand and led him to a stream she found. To her surprise, he let her lead him. "Now, we have fresh water. Drink up." She lifted her hands and brought a ball of the fresh stream water to her mouth. It was much easier to do that than get down on all fours and drink straight from it. She noticed Zuko watching her. "Let me guess, you don't want to get down there and drink like an animal?" He turned his head away and nodded. She sighed and brought another waterball out of the stream for him. He looked at it oddly, but drank from it.

"Thanks," he muttered as he walked away.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the beach to practice."

She took one last drink from her water before letting it go back to the stream and heading off to find some food. She came back to the beach, the top layer of her dress full of mangos, berries, and papayas (she hated them, but maybe Zuko liked them). She stood at the edge of the trees where it met the sand and watched him for a little while. When she finally snapped out of her trance, she walked over to a spot near him and sat down.

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Yes you are, now come and eat. There's more than plenty where this came from."

"I said I'm not hungry."

"You haven't eaten anything today and I'm sure you didn't grab a snack before we were wiped out by that big wave, now sit and eat."

He glared at her over his shoulder. "Are you like this with your friends?"

"Not when it comes to food. They're always willing to eat. Everything else.. basically, yeah. Now sit and eat, you need your strength."

Zuko reluctantly sat and looked at the food in front of him. He wasn't even sure if she knew what half this stuff was or even if it was poisonous. "Are you sure all this stuff is safe to eat?"

"I know a lot about plants and stuff. Mangos, papayas, leechy nuts, everything is safe to eat. Do you like papaya?"

"Not particularly, but I can stand it enough to get it down."

"Well, there's something else we have in common," she laughed as she picked up one of the mangos.

He sat a second longer looking over the food before taking a couple leechy nuts. They finished the food in silence and he went back to his firebending. She walked past him and right into the water. He pretended not to watch her, but kept glancing out of the corner of his eye. She went in the water waist-deep, then bent her knees and twisted around some with her hands straight out by her sides. She looked like she was deep in concentration. Zuko didn't even notice he stopped practicing to watch. Suddenly, she jerked her whole body around and flew up into the air in a big, swirling stream of water. The first time either of them had seen that move was when they first found the Avatar in the South Pole. Katara had wanted to master that since then.

When she came down, she lifted her hands and the water shot up all around her, surrounding her in a giant wall of water. She dropped her hands and it all fell like rain all around her. She simply lifted her hand to bend the water away from her. She looked so.. at peace when she was bending. She lifted her hands again, this time bringing a couple thick streams of water with them. They started circling her, eventually coming together to make one. She only held her hands out to her sides and it continued to circle her faster and faster, growing wider and wider, thinner and thinner. She shot a hand out towards Zuko and before he had time to react, the water wrapped around his waist and jerked him into the water.

He came up to the sound of her laughter. He hated her for being quick. "What was _that_ for?" he yelled at her.

She calmed down enough to respond. "You need to calm down and act your age every once in a while. Make the best out of a bad situation."

She playfully splashed him and he glared at her. "Stop that." She splashed him again. "I said stop." Splash. This time, he lunged at her and took her under with him. She was still smiling and bent an air bubble around her mouth. Her feet found the ground under her and pushed herself back up above the water, Zuko right after her.

"See? Fun!"

He held back a smile. "That's not fun."

"Then you don't know fun."

"I do know fun."

"Do you? Then show me your version of fun, _your highness_."

Neither of them had time to react before he lunged at her again, this time not knocking her down but locking her in a kiss. Not even he expected that out of him, it just happened, but he wasn't sorry. At first she didn't fight back but after a couple seconds, after her brain had time to register what was happening, she pushed him back.

"What in La's name was that!"

"Um, last time I checked, it was called a kiss."

"I know that, but why?"

"I- I don't know, okay? It just happened, I did it before I even thought about it!"

"Some fun," she said as she walked back to the shore and sat down in the sand.

"Oh, was it really that horrible!" he called after her.

She couldn't respond. As a matter-of-fact, it hadn't been horrible at all. Just a little confusing. Hadn't he just tried to argue with her not long ago? She found herself secretly wondering why she had pushed him away from her. She wanted more, but she would never admit it. Not out loud, anyway.

"You never answered me," he whispered in her ear, startling her. He had snuck up behind her and was breathing on her neck, once again sending a chill down her spine.

"Stop breathing on my neck."

"Why?" he asked, not moving.

"Because.."

"That's not a reason."

"Because it's annoying."

She couldn't stop the chills and finally it got to be too much and her body let out a visible shiver. He couldn't stop himself from smiling at that.

"Because it's tempting?"

"No, because it's annoying. Back off a little."

"See, this is my version of fun. Messing with you like you messed with me."

She turned her head just enough to see his face hovering over her shoulder. "Messing with me?"

"Because all of this obviously makes you uncomfortable, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's payback."

With a final breath on her neck, he got up and walked away. She shivered again before getting up and walking in the other direction. She picked up a few neat-looking shells she found on the way to wherever. She stepped on something that pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked down.

"Oh.." she gasped. She kneeled down and picked up the wet, rolled up paper. She looked a little further down the beach and noticed a few more things scattered along the sand or floating in the ocean. "Zuko!" She turned and ran back to where she saw him go. "Zuko, where are you! I found something!"

He came running out of the woods at the sound of her yelling voice and ran right into her, taking them both down. "Ow!" they yelled as they hit the hot sand.

"You tackled me!"

"_Pth! Ugh!_" was all Zuko could say because he got a mouthful of sand. He sat up some and realized he landed right on top of her. He rolled off quickly and continued to spit the sand out the best he could.

"Need fresh water?"

He nodded, still spitting. She got up, leaving her treasures on the sand, and got him some of the spring water. When she got back with her little ball, he was still trying to spit it out. He couldn't scrape it off his toungue because his whole body was covered in sand. She brought the water to him and he rinsed his mouth out a couple times and spit it out on the sand. Then he took a drink for himself and finally got up.

"Now that that's over, what'd you find?"

She bent down and grabbed the paper that she'd dropped when he tackled her. "I found this, but there's a lot more where that came from. There are a lot of things all over the beach, it looks like they would've been from the ship."

"What is this?"

"I don't know, I haven't unrolled it yet."

They sat down next to it and Zuko untied and unrolled it. "Well, that does us a lot of good."

"It's a map."

"I see that, but it doesn't do us any good if we don't know where we are."

She sighed and shook her head. "Where's the port we were stopped at?"

He looked along the Earth Kingdom coast and finally pointed to a town. "Right there is where we were."

Katara got down closer to the map and looked for nearby islands. She gasped. "The storm must've been stronger than we thought! We got some distance. I knew this place was familiar!"

"What are you talking about? Where are we?" He watched as she got up and took off running down the beach, the opposite direction she had come from. "Wait, _where are we!_" He grabbed the map and took off after her. She was pretty fast for a girl in a dress running through the sand. Sand was hard to run in, but she managed. He finally came to a stop behind her and saw what she was looking at. It was the faint remains of a campsite. There were stones in a circle, the remains of a fire in the middle, and Toph didn't bother replacing her earth tent.

"I knew this was it!"

"What are you talking about? Where are we?"

"This is the island you found me on."

"But.. how? How long did it take us to get to that town from here?"

"Almost a week."

"And how long were we out in the ocean?"

"Only a couple days, that's why I said that the storm was stronger than we thought. The waves must've pushed the ship way out before we flipped, then they pushed us further out here."

Zuko was walking around the campsite. He stopped at the earth tent and kicked at it. "The earthbender girl, I suppose?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I miss them so much."

"I miss my uncle."

"Me too."

Katara sat down next to the former campfire and folded her knees up to her chest. She stared at the black spot as if expecting them to appear and she would wake up from this horrible nightmare, but they never did.

"Are we going to look at that stuff or not?"

Her eyes lazily floated up to meet his. He noticed that when she was sad, they were a different shade of blue. She stood up, mumbling a "Let's go," before heading back without another word.

"Where are they supposed to be going?"

Nothing.

"Were you supposed to meet them there if you got away from me?"

Nothing.

"Any luck finding a firebending teacher?"

Nothing.

"Come on, Katara, you can't be sad. At least they're still alive."

"You don't know that. I don't know that. For all we know, your crazy sister and her friends caught up to them. Toph and my brother could be dead, Aang could be halfway there and on his way to the Fire Nation. The world's only hope would be ripped away again and there's nothing I can do about it."

"It's not your fault."

"It _is_ my fault. It's my fault for taking it easy on you that night and getting captured because of it. If it wasn't for that, I'd be with them right now in Ba Sing Sei."

"Why are they going to Ba Sing Sei?"

"That's where all the war refugees go. We thought that surely they'd have a couple firebenders there that could teach Aang."

"So, are you and him.."

"Me and _Aang_? No way, he's like a little brother to me! I really only had a crush on one guy and he turned out to be a total jerk and more. He used me to help him try to kill innocent people. Luckily Sokka was there to save them. But Kiatoh was nice. The kiss was a little uncomfortable though."

"He kissed you?"

"Yeah, on the cheek, but it was still uncomfortable. I mean, I wanted to like him, he was cute and nice and everything, but.. I don't know. I saw the look on his face when you asked me to dance. He looked like he was already overprotective of me. Then again, I saw the look on yours when he took me back."

Zuko stopped and looked at her. She was smiling. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about," she replied as she brushed past him. "That's why you kissed me." It was her turn to mess with him.

Zuko watched her walk away. He couldn't respond to that. When his feet finally started moving, so did his mouth. "You're no fun."

He heard her laugh up ahead of him, then saw her take off running down the beach. He chased after her and when she stopped, he came up to her and stopped. She knelt down next to one of the few boxes that floated up on the beach. She tried to pry the top off, but it wouldn't budge. Zuko was about to try when the top went flying across the sand. He looked at Katara, who was getting out of a stance. She gave him a look. "What? I had to use my waterbending to get it off."

"I could've done it," he muttered. He knelt down beside her and peered inside the box. "Oh, you've **GOT** to be kidding me!"

"Oh, yay!" Katara squeeled. "I'm so glad it's all sealed, I love tea!"

"I don't."

"Well then, it'll last longer!"

"Good for you. Let's check the rest."

He walked to another box and attempted to pry the top off himself with no luck. Katara smiled and flung her arm across, the top flying with it. "I knew you couldn't do it. Just let me and my water handle it," she laughed as kneeled down next to it.

"How much tea did that man get?"

Katara laughed again. "What? He likes tea. Can you blame him for stocking up?"

"Yes. Let's keep going, surely we'll find something useful in one of these boxes."

Katara and her water opened the other 3 boxes, finding 2 of them full of carefully sealed food and the last one full of some of the useless things that Iroh buys when he goes shopping. Maybe, just maybe, they could find some use for some of it eventually. After opening the boxes, they traveled along the beach looking at the rest of the stuff laying all over the place. Something dark blue caught her eye and she ran to the water's edge to get it, Zuko slowly following.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't see him buy this!"

"Buy what?"

She turned around with the dark blue and black dress in her arms, the one from the dress shop. "He made me try this on at the town before he bought me this one! He must've gone back for it after I left him. He's probably one of the nicest firebenders I've ever met," she sighed, hugging the wet dress to her chest. A tear made it down her cheek, but she didn't bother wiping it away.

Zuko walked closer and pulled her into his arms, not minding the feel of the wet dress against his bare chest. "I miss him too."

Her tears starting coming harder. She didn't really know him that long, but it still upset her because of how nice he was to her all the time. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she kept whispering.

"It's not your fault, Katara." He felt her shoulders shaking and wondered how she was so upset over someone she hardly knew.

"I-I should've tried harder to-to move the waves," she sniffled. "I let them all-all _DIE_!"

Zuko held her tighter, trying to be comforting so she'd stop crying. He hated when she cried, it made him feel bad. "Please stop crying, we have to be strong if we're going to survive until someone finds us."

She backed up a little, wiping her tears on her white dress and sniffling. "Y-you're right." She took a deep breath and fought back another wave of tears that were pushing at her eyes. "Come on, let's t-take this stuff back."

He looked around real quick before following her back. "I wish we could've at least found me a shirt. I'll be as dark as you by the time we get off this island." He could've sworn he heard her giggle.

"I guess that'll teach you to sleep half-naked, or at least teach you to put on a shirt before you run out into a storm."

"I'll sleep half-naked if I want, but since we'll be sleeping outside I just wanted to find some of my clothes. I'm pretty sure it gets cold at night, at least that's how I remember it from my time on the road."

Zuko grunted as he tried to pull the box of his uncle's things along the beach, but it would barely move. Katara watched him struggle with it before telling him, "You can leave that here for now, I don't think it's going anywhere."

"I guess, but we're coming back for it. If we get off this island, I'm bringing that stuff with me."

"I understand."

He helped her drag the food and tea back to their little campsite just as the orange glow of the sunset reached them. She gathered some firewood and he lit a fire. She brought back a little more food with her sticks and they ate in silence.

"I'm going exploring tomorrow," she said quietly as she finished eating.

"Okay."

They laid down next to the fire and watched the sun set together. Little did they know, they weren't the only ones on their little island.

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**Oh, almost paradise! lol Sorry, that song came to mind when I finished this chapter. I like this one because it showed "soft Zuko".. kinda. His plan is still buzzing around in his head, but how long will it last? Keep reading to find out! You guys know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	7. Chapter 7

_Everyone's been asking me about who/what is on the island. Some of you got it right! Thanks a lot for the reviews and here's your next chapter!_

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Katara woke up in the middle of the night from a noise she heard. She listened for a few seconds before realizing how warm she felt. She looked down and noticed arms wrapped around her. They hadn't fallen asleep like that, she was sure of it. Maybe he was just cold, being shirtless and all. She started blushing, but it quickly went away when she heard the noise again.

"Zuko.." she whispered.

"Mhmm.."

"Zuko, are you awake?"

"Mhmm.."

"I thought I heard something."

"Wha?"

"Wake up, I heard something," she whispered a little louder.

"Mmm juz go back aslp, Ktar." He snuggled closer to her and buried his face into her shoulder, obviously still asleep.

She turned her head and shook his arm and his eyes fluttered open to meet hers. "I heard something, please wake up."

"It's probably nothing, go back to sleep," he mumbled.

Katara rolled out of his grasp and over on her stomach and searched the woods behind them to see if she could see anything. The moon was almost new by then so it wasn't giving off much light. She was about to give up when she heard something again. It sounded like a grunt or a growl or something like that.

She scooted slowly over right next to Zuko and whispered in his ear, "Zuko, there's something in the woods. I heard it again!"

"What did it sound like?"

"I don't know, a growl?"

He sighed and sat up some, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He turned around some and looked into the trees. "I suppose you want me to go check it out? This isn't like a monster-under-the-bed thing, is it?"

"No, it's not like that. I'll come with you if you're scared, I just didn't want to go alone just in case."

"Ugh, fine, let's go check it out."

They got to their feet slowly and started towards the trees. They heard the noise again when they reached the trees. Katara thought it was too close for comfort, but they went in towards it anyway.

"I told you," she whispered at Zuko. He just turned and held a finger to his mouth, gesturing for her to be quiet. They continued through the trees without a sound. They heard the noise again even closer, so close that Katara would've screamed if Zuko's hand hadn't gotten to her mouth first. When he removed his hand, she mouthed a quick 'thanks' before returning her attention to the situation.

He turned back to her and made a tiny flame in his hand, then put it out and pointed the direction the noise kept coming from. She assumed he was trying to say there was a fire over there. He moved forward just a bit and peeked through the brush. When he couldn't see anything, he turned to her again.

He walked up close to her and whispered in her ear, "I don't see anything. They must've heard us and ran."

"Or they're hiding and waiting to jump out and attack us." Just as she said that, her vision went black and she felt someone's arms around her.

--------------------------------------

"I think she's waking up."

"Yes, she's moving."

"I hope her head doesn't hurt too much."

"Well, you're the one that had to hit her."

Katara's eyes opened a little, but she couldn't see anything. Her vision was swimming and her head was throbbing like mad. She tried to sit up, but hissed in pain and laid back down. "Who are you and _who hit me_!"

"I'm so sorry, Katara. We didn't know it was you."

"Okay, you're going to have to help me out here. The hit to the head is making my vision all messed up and I can see anything clearly. Who are you? Where's Zuko?" She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear up her vision a little, but to no avail.

"It's okay, Katara. I'm right here. You'll never guess who found us."

"Well, it's either my friends or.. um, my friends?"

"It's good to have you back, Miss Katara."

"Uncle Iroh!" She heard him laugh and she tried to smile, but it made her head hurt worse. "Ow! Can I get some water so I can heal this, please?"

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot you can do that."

"K-Kiatoh?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Here's some water for you."

She reached her hand out and he put the water under her hand, then it just slid over her hand like a glove. She put it to her head where she was hit and it started glowing, her headache instantly leaving. When she was done with the water, she just let it run through her hair and down her face. It helped to wake her up some.

"Okay, I feel better."

"Good. I'm sorry again. We really weren't expecting to see you guys here," Kiatoh explained.

"How and when did you get here?"

"We actually just got here a little while ago. Apparently we weren't the only ones that got caught in the storm and there was a lot of wood floating everywhere, so we just hopped on a big piece and woke up here."

"But how did you get out of the ship?"

"That was the hard part," Iroh started. "I had just woken up right before the ship flipped so I was out of my room, but it took most of my strength to not go under with it. When I climbed out, Kiatoh found me. I'm not sure if we're the only ones who survived now that we've found you. Hopefully we'll find everyone else safe."

"Yeah," Zuko sighed.

Katara looked into the campfire and got a bit closer. It was fairly cold out that night and they didn't have blankets. "I was warm and asleep before I heard you guys out here. Thanks a lot, stupid ears."

They all laughed at her, even Zuko, who had a faint blush on his cheeks. He knew what she was talking about.

"How were you warm if you didn't have blankets?" Iroh just had to ask.

Katara's eyes widened a bit and a blush crept over her cheeks. She looked at him and finally responded. "Um, we used, um, body heat. You know, him being a firebender and all. Plus, he didn't have a shirt and, um-"

"Okay, we get it," Kiatoh interupted. He glanced at Zuko and noticed him glaring back. Zuko averted his eyes quickly, back to the fire.

Katara could feel the tension between the two. "Yeah, okay, well let's get some sleep! Goodnight, guys!" She inched closer to the fire and curled up and was asleep sooner than she expected. Zuko followed her lead, then Iroh. Kiatoh stayed up for a little while longer, glancing back and forth between Zuko and Katara. He sighed and finally let himself sleep.

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Zuko woke up, as usual, at sunrise. _Great, I'm the first one up_, he thought. He looked around, then noticed Katara was gone. His mind got frantic for a second, but calmed down by reassuring him that he didn't really care for her. It was all just a part of the plan, right? He got up and wandered off before the other two firebenders woke up. He followed the sound of the water and found her no problem. She was, of course, waterbending.

"What happened to _'you rise with the moon, I rise with the sun'_?"

"I rose before the sun, thank you very much."

He was actually startled by the fact that she wasn't. He hadn't made a noise, yet it was almost like she was expecting him to show up.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm trapped on an island with 3 firebenders and I'm not dead because 2 of you like me and the other just adores me and my brother is going to freak out when he finds out if I can ever find my friends and if I do ever find them you're just going to try to capture Aang again and-"

"Katara, calm down!"

"_Why?_ I have no reason to be calm, this is not how things were supposed to go! I'm supposed to be with my brother and Aang and Toph continuing Aang's lessons in Ba Sing Sei and trying to find him a firebending teacher so we can deafeat the firelord and save the world and I just want to be back with them.." she started crying. "I didn't ask for any of this! I miss them so much, they were my family, maybe the only family I have left. My mom is dead, my dad may be dead, even my Gran Gran.."

"Katara, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I wasn't so stubborn all the time, I wouldn't have tried to capture him that night. I know I can't go home now, even with the Avatar. I've known that since my first fight with my sister after the North Pole, but I refused to accept it because I just wanted to go home so badly, I just wanted my father to love me and to get my throne back."

"What are you saying?" The giant wall of water that she had been unconciously building just fell as her mood changed slightly.

He sighed and looked down at his feet. "If we get off this island alive and find your friends, I'll.." he paused to think about his next words for a second, then continued, "I'll _help_ the Avatar."

Her blue eyes filled with tears again almost instantly as she jumped around his neck."Thank you, Zuko. You don't know how much that means to me," she whispered.

He hesitated before slowly hugging her back. He had never realized before, the power of a hug and the effect it can have on a person. His mind was screaming at him to let go before he really did fall for her, but his heart was saying he already had. Besides, his arms didn't want to let go either. Instead, they tightened around her waist and he felt her tighten her arms around his neck. He buried himself in her surprisingly sweet smell. The time at sea had done nothing to take it away and he was glad.

_NO! You can't fall for this peasant! Remember the plan!_

'Forget the plan, I can't do it.'

_Then your father was right! You really are weak. You're a fool for getting involved with this wench!_

'I love this girl.'

_Agni, damn the girl! Cast her aside like you've done before. Ignore her feelings like you did with Song and Mai._

'But I can't ignore my own! I can't betray her without betraying myself.'

_Because you're weak! You're emotions are making you weak! They're betraying you whether you know it or not!_

'I am **NOT** weak!'

"Zuko, are you okay?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at the girl. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you were starting to get really hot."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just one of those internal battles with myself. I'm sure you've had at least one of those in your life."

"I know all about them," she laughed. She started to pull away from him, but he kept her close. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Um, you won't let me go."

"Maybe I don't want to."

"What? Is this what you called fun or are you serious?"

"You decide."

He lifted her chin and kissed her. She was slightly taken back by this, but didn't protest. He pulled her closer, pushing his lips harder against hers. She tried to pull back, but he wouldn't let her go. She didn't want him to let her go, but he was so confusing lately and had to get her mind straightened out somehow.

"Zuko, let go," she finally got out. He stopped and looked at her, confused. "I can't do this, not yet."

Zuko nodded and reluctantly let her go. She gave him one last look before running off into the woods. He didn't even register that she was going the wrong way. He rubbed the back of his neck and sat down next to the water, staring in at his scarred reflection.

"You're up early."

He turned to see Kiatoh standing behind him. "Hey," was all he could manage.

"Have you seen Katara? She's not at the camp."

"Not this morning," he lied.

Kiatoh came and sat next to him. "Are you okay? You seem a little down."

"It's just this.. dream I had," he lied again. "Something about the Avatar and his friends in Ba Sing Sei. They were looking for a firebending teacher. He had already mastered water and was working on earth. If we don't get off this island soon, we won't be able to stop him."

"Oh."

They sat next to the spring for a little while in silence before Zuko spoke up again. "D-do you like her?"

"Who? Katara?"

"Yeah."

Kiatoh folded his knees up to his chest and looked to be interested in his hands. "I, um, maybe.. a little, yeah."

"I guess that explains all the looks I was getting when you thought I wasn't looking."

"What about you?"

Zuko looked at him, surprised by the question. The internal battle began again. His mind screaming no, his heart screaming yes, leaving his mouth completely confused. "I don't know."

"How can you not know if you like someone?"

"I really don't know. I mean, she's pretty, she's a powerful bender, we have so much in com-"

"You like her."

Zuko sighed and looked at his friend. "Yeah, I guess I do."

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Katara sat on the beach, letting the tears fall freely. She didn't know what to think of anything anymore. She liked Zuko, but wasn't sure if he liked her or if he was just 'having fun'. She knew Kiatoh liked her, but she didn't like him as much as Zuko. And Sokka.. what would he think if he knew what she was thinking! He would disown her for sure.

She felt an energy build up behind her fists and suddenly she was furious. She was mad at herself for letting it get this far. She was mad at the boys for liking her. She was even mad at Sokka for not approving of her own decisions even though he had no idea what was going on. She wanted to be mad at all of her little family for not coming after her, but the deal was her idea. She wanted to hit something. She wanted to fight someone. Smiling, she got up and stormed back into the trees.

She found the stream and found them sitting together talking right next to it. They both looked up when they heard her and both knew she wasn't in a good mood. Zuko swore that if she were a firebender, her fists would be flames.

"Someone fight me," she growled. Her fists were clenched so hard, blood was dripping from them from her nails digging in so hard.

Zuko and Kiatoh looked between each other, then back at the girl. "Katara," Zuko started slowly. "You don't really want to fight us. You're just a little bit upset. Just calm down and we can talk about this."

"I am _**NOT**_ upset! I do _**NOT**_ want to _**CALM DOWN! I WANT**_ to **_FIGHT_**!"

They noticed with every announciated word, the water behind her rose and fell harder and harder with each word. The big bad firebenders were officially scared, though they wouldn't admit it to anyone. It was Kiatoh's turn to speak. "Can we please just talk first and try to work this out before someone gets hurt?"

"_**I DON'T WANT TO TALK, I WANT TO FIGHT**_!"

Her voice echoed throughout the entire island, making Iroh worried for the boys. Katara was driven by so much energy and anger at absolutely nothing that she could easily kill anything and everything on the island if she wanted to. That's what made them all scared. She wasn't even herself anymore, she was just a really powerful and pissed off waterbender.

_Water beats fire._

"Fine then, don't fight back," she growled. Zuko's eyes widened at the tone of voice she used and jumped up as an ice dagger flew at him.

"Katara, stop!" he yelled, hoping to get through to her.

"Fight."

"No, stop! I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't get the chance to."

Zuko was shaking on the inside. He had never been so scared in his life, not even the day his father gave him his scar. Her tone of voice was so.. evil! Had it been directed at someone else, he would've been proud. He thought it was sad that he was more scared of a 15-year-old waterbender than his firelord father.

He fell back into reality when one of the ice daggers was shot through his leg. He screamed in pain, which made Iroh run faster through the trees. He looked over to Kiatoh and saw his hand pinned to a tree, blood dripping onto the grass. He saw Katara on the other side of the spring waiting for an attack out of them. Just then, Iroh ran out to them. He saw Katara in a fighting stance, Zuko's leg pinned to the ground and Kiatoh's hand pinned to a tree.

"Miss Katara, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to fight, Iroh. Stay out of this."

"You are not trying to fight, you are trying to kill them."

"If they value their lives, they'll fight for them."

She shot sharp ice disks at Kiatoh, but they were quickly melted by Iroh. "Katara, you are not yourself, now stop before you kill them," he said in a stern tone that you hardly heard from him.

Katara stared at him for a second, then dropped the water she had been holding and fell to her knees. She screamed and punched the ground, the water in the stream shooting 20 feet in the air before falling back down. She buried her face into her hands. Iroh cautiously approached her and tried to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"I'm sure the boys will forgive you if you can heal them. Personally, I don't blame you for going nuts considering your situation. Just next time you get upset like that, come to me and we'll talk, okay?"

She nodded and he helped her stand up. She looked at her boys and almost cried at the sight of all the blood that she caused. "I'm so sorry, guys. I'm going to heal you as good as I can."

"What do you mean _'as good as you can'_? You're a healer, can't you heal us all the way?"

"They're too deep. I can heal the surface, but the inside will have to heal on its own." She walked over to melt the ice in Zuko's leg and Kiatoh's hand and threw it back into the stream. "Zuko, you'll have to stay off this leg for a while so it can heal properly. It's going to swell a lot so expect it." She got some clean water and healed as much as she could before going to Kiatoh. "And you, most of your hand I can heal but you'll still have to refrain from using it until it heals the rest of the way on its own."

When his hand was healed, he thanked her quietly before heading back to their camp. Iroh and Katara helped Zuko up and half-carried him back. They set him against a tree and Katara headed back out.

"I'll be back in a little bit. I need to meditate."

Zuko looked at Iroh as she walked out of sight. "Did you tell her to do that?"

"No, she must've picked that up from living with us on the ship that short time," he smiled. Zuko nodded and they continued to sit around their little camp without another word.

The woods were silent.

The sky was clear.

They heard a scream.

A scream of fear.

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Sokka jumped out of his sleeping bag. "Something's wrong! Something happened to her!"

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**Ah ha! Another cliffhanger! Sorry, those are my specialty apparently. This is, what? The third chapter in a row of cliffhangers? I apologize again and I can assure you that the next one is not. Keep Katara's little anger problem in mind and guess what happens next! I would take suggestions, but I've already written the next chapter (that's how I know it's not a cliffhanger lol). You guys all know the drill, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	8. Chapter 8

_You guys rock so hard! I'll try to keep posting regularly, but there are a lot of concerts around this time of year that I'm going to, the greatest one being Trivium. If I get my way, me and my friends will have VIP passes to hang out with them before the show. I find out this week whether we get them or not. Keep reading! Here's the next chapter for you. Oh, and to clear something up real quick, I didn't want Appa stolen so he's still with the group. They're not riding him though because, well, "he's a giant fluffy monster with an arrow on his head" and it kind of draws attention to them. They're still running from Azula's gang though._

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Sokka jumped out of his sleeping bag. "Something's wrong! Something happened to her!"

Aang turned over to face the older boy, the morning sun shining down on his face. "What?"

"Something happened to Katara, I know it!"

"How? We have no idea where she's at."

"Call it my brotherly instinct."

"Your instinct has been wrong before, Sokka."

"My _brotherly_ instinct has never been wrong. Please Aang, we have to find her."

Aang sat up on his warm bed that was Appa's tail. "I miss her just as much as you, but we don't even know where to look. They could be on the other side of the world by now! Plus, we're only a couple days out of Ba Sing Sei and we had a deal."

"Okay, well what if we find a firebending teacher there and they're willing to travel with us? Can we go look for her then?"

Toph's tent suddenly slid back into the ground. "I say we go ahead and go after her. We can take on those firebenders she's with. Besides, we have to get away from those 3 crazy girls that have been chasing us. They know where we're going, you know."

Aang sighed at his loss. "Where do we start looking first?"

"The island," Toph and Sokka said together. Sokka looked at her and laughed. "We can start at the island we lost her at, then try to track them from there."

"Okay, let's eat and we can go."

"One more thing. Can we please take Appa? I'm tired of walking."

"Sure, Sokka. The faster, the better, right?"

"Thanks alot, Aang. Now, let's go find my sister."

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The scream rang out through the trees, along the beach, and to the ears of her new friends. Iroh and Kiatoh jumped up and ran, but Zuko couldn't because of his leg. He felt useless and weak and he hated that. Iroh and Kiatoh were dodging trees and running as fast as their hearts would allow them to run without exploding. They burst through the trees onto a different beach and stopped dead in their tracks. They gasped when they saw the blood and bodies everywhere.

"What happened?" Kiatoh whispered, more to himself.

They were looking around when Iroh spotted her laying on the edge of the water. He ran to her, leaving Kiatoh to look at the dead. "Miss Katara, wake up!" Iroh said frantically. He checked for a pulse and it was strong. He picked her up and started back towards Kiatoh.

"They're all dead," he said. "I counted 5 of the crew and the captain. I guess we weren't the only ones who made it, but we are now."

Iroh nodded, sadly watching the limp girl in his arms, and started back towards the camp with Kiatoh trailing behind him. They were back in their camp in a few minutes and Zuko tried to stand up, but Iroh shook his head. He slowly slid back down the tree and watched with a worried expression on his face.

"We found some more of the crew on the beach that we washed up on, but they're all dead now," Kiatoh explained to him. "I think she did it, but we can't be sure because she was out when we got there."

Iroh gently placed her on the ground next to Zuko. "Keep an eye on her until she wakes up. When she does, see if you can get her to tell you what happened. Kiatoh and I have to go back and burn the bodies."

"Okay, Uncle."

They left him again, a little slower this time, and he glanced down at Katara. He brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. Her breathing was slow and steady and she had a pained look on her face. He wondered what happened that would've made her do that. Another piece made it down to her face and when he brushed that one back, she stirred.

"Welcome back," he said quietly.

Her eyes opened slowly, but she didn't look up at him. "Where am I?" she whispered.

"Back at camp."

"But.. how?"

"Uncle Iroh brought you back. He found you passed out on the beach. You want to tell me what happened?"

She slowly sat up, Zuko's hand on her back to keep her steady. "I recognized a couple of them from the ship, but.." she paused for a second, "..I'm not sure if they recognized me. They attacked me, tried to force themselves on me, but I.. the water was right there and.. I had no choice.." She trailed off and looked at her bloody right arm. It felt like it was broken, but she knew it wasn't. Her eyes shot up to look at him. "Why in La's name did you have earthbenders in your crew!"

"Earthbenders?" The news left Zuko as shocked as herself when she found out. "All of the men I recruited said that they weren't benders."

"Well, I guess some of them lied," she spat, looking back at her arm. She touched it and hissed in pain, then stood up. "I'm going to heal, I'll be back in a minute."

And Zuko was left alone again. He sighed and tried to move his injured leg. It moved a little, but hurt too much to move anymore. Katara was back in no time, arm all healed up but her dress was still red from the blood. She shuffled through some of the things they had found on the beach and pulled out the blue and black dress. She walked to where Zuko was still sitting.

"I'm changing behind this tree so don't turn around, please."

He only nodded before she disappeared behind him. He heard little noises behind him and she was done in less than a minute. She walked out, tying the long sash around her waist. He loved how she looked in blue.. and that dress, period. It caught all her curves just right. She turned and caught him staring.

"What?"

He shook his head, a blush creeping across his cheeks. "What?"

"Stop staring, it's rude."

He looked down at his feet and whispered an apology. She started to dig through the food and pulled out what looked like jerky. Quick, easy, and you don't have to cook it.

"Are you hungry?"

"A little."

She tossed some into his lap, carefully avoiding his injured leg. Soon, Iroh and Kiatoh came back. They looked tired and hungry and luckily she still had the jerky out. She handed it to them and they sat down near her and Zuko.

"Thank you," Iroh said politely. He looked up at the sky and noticed some grey clouds coming in. "I think we're going to have rain tonight."

"Should we look for a cave or something to use for shelter?" Katara asked.

"I thought if anyone liked the rain, it would be a waterbender," Kiatoh replied smartly. Katara shot him a glare and he looked away.

"I love water, I just don't like sleeping in it," she shot back.

"Now, now, calm down," Iroh said, looking between the two. "Katara, have you seen a cave or know where one might be?"

She smirked at him. "I might know where one is, but it's a little bit far. I can go find it, if you want."

"Take Kiatoh with you, just in case."

"Um, I know you were at the beach. You know I can handle myself. Don't worry, I'll be fine and I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Just take him, just in-"

"I said no."

With that, she disappeared through the trees for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. The direction she was running landed her at her former campsite with her friends. She went down the beach the direction she thought she saw the cave when she was on Appa and they first spotted the island. The sun was setting when she found it and, to her surprise, it was incredibly roomy inside. It went into a small mountain that was on the island. She ran back to find the guys as soon as she saw it, running as fast as she could possibly run. It was nearly dark and already sprinkling before she burst back into the camp. Luckily her boys were firebenders and they could light the way back.

"I found it. It's right on the beach too, and it's huge inside. Can we go before it starts pouring?"

They looked at her funny before standing, Iroh helping Zuko up. Kiatoh helped him walk and Katara led the way, though much slower than before because of Zuko. Of course, it wasn't his fault. It was hers. Kiatoh lit a flame in his free hand to help light their way and soon they were out on the beach, a little further down from her former campsite. A part of her didn't want the other two to see it, though she didn't know why. The rain started coming down harder, making the sand a little easier to walk on somehow.

"There it is!" she yelled in excitement, pointing up ahead of them.

"How do you know? I can't see anything," Iroh replied.

"Your eyes are getting weak, old man," she joked. "Come on, it's just ahead."

Then it was pouring. She didn't bother using her bending to keep the rain off. She loved the feel of the water dripping down her face and through her long hair. She started skipping through the sand, suddenly in a much better mood. Water was her element and she felt so at home in it. She held her hands out above her head and twirled, bending the water around with her and letting it spin down and slowly engulf her body. The boys just watched in awe as she danced with the rain. She threw her arms out and tore the water into a few different streams that she tossed into the ocean before continuing towards the cave. Zuko and Iroh smiled, Kiatoh was just staring, but they started walking again.

"I told you it was big in here!" she called from the mouth of the cave. The boys were slowly but surely making it there. It was hard to see and a flame didn't help because it would be out in seconds because of the rain.

"I guess we can go back for the food in the morning, huh?" Zuko asked.

"I guess we'll have to."

When they finally made it inside, they set Zuko against the cave wall and were about to start a fire when they realized they had no sticks or anything. Iroh sighed and sat down next to his nephew, Kiatoh landing on the opposite wall. Katara was sitting directly in the middle of the cave entrance, watching the rain. Every once in a while, she would bend some of the water in and play with it before tossing it back out.

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The sky was pitch black, the clouds covered the moon and stars, but the rain had finally slowed down some. She looked in the cave and could faintly make out the figures of her boys. She had no idea why she thought of them as 'her boys', but that's basically what they were. She took care of them like family, so that's what she considered them. The steady breathing emanating from the figures told her that they were all asleep. She smiled and crawled a little further into the cave and fell asleep in the middle of them all.

She dreamt that she was back with her friends, only Zuko was now part of their team and everyone was okay with them being together.. even Sokka. They were flying through the clouds and everyone was talking and laughing and having a good time. Suddenly, their world fell and they all ended up in the Fire Temple. Aang was fighting the firelord alone and they were all just standing there, watching. She tried to move, but couldn't. She tried to yell, but nothing came out. She tried to cry, but nothing happened. When she closed her eyes, she was gone.

She jumped up and saw sunlight outside. Looking around, she found Zuko already awake and the other two gone.

"It's about time you woke up. How late did you stay up?"

"I don't know, I couldn't tell."

"You had a nightmare."

"How do you know?"

"You were talking in your sleep. You mentioned my name, then something about the Avatar and not fighting someone alone."

"Oh, yeah, it's nothing," she said as she tried to stand up. "Where are Uncle Iroh and Kiatoh?"

"They went back to get the food and their precious tea."

She opened her mouth to ask something, then closed it again, mumbling an "Oh."

"What were you going to say?"

"Oh, I was about to ask why you didn't go, then I remembered your leg."

"Um, yeah, kind of your fault."

"Um, yeah, kind of apologized already," she sarcastically replied. She twisted her upper body around a little trying to get rid of the pain and popping it in the process. The pain was still there, so she did a backbend. The pain left when she stood back up, so she sat next to Zuko a little more comfortably.. or so she thought, until she noticed him looking at her funny.

"What? Stop staring at me."

"Are you trying to torture me?"

She looked at him suspiciously. "What?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Nevermind. So.. do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"Your nightmare."

"Will you please stop acting concerned for me? I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work."

Zuko's eyes flashed with hurt for a second before returning to normal. "Oh yeah? Then what am I trying to do?"

"You probably lied about wanting to help Aang and you're trying to gain my trust so that when we find them, you'll be able to capture him easier. You don't really like me so you can stop pretending. It's not funny."

Zuko felt his anger building up inside of him. "_Fine!_ If you don't want to believe me, then don't! That's why I never open up to people! That's why I try not to get close to people! Because they always throw it back in my face! I thought you were different, but I guess I was wrong."

He got to his feet and limped out of the cave. Katara was suddenly overwhelmed with guilt._ Maybe he was serious_, she thought. _Maybe he was serious and I just blew it. I'm so stupid!_

She folded her knees against her chest and laid her forehead against them. She sat that way for what seemed like forever before she heard someone coming into the cave.

"Something wrong?"

She looked up to see Kiatoh standing over her. "No, I'm fine," she whispered.

"Okay, if you want to talk about it you know where to find me."

"Thanks," she muttered, putting her head back against her knees.

"Are you hungry?"

"Not right now."

"Where's Zuko?"

"Who knows."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine!"

She got up and started out of the cave, almost running into Iroh as she left. Iroh watched her walk down to the water, then turned his attention back to Kiatoh.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She wouldn't tell me, but I have a feeling it's got something to do with Zuko."

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Katara walked down to the water's edge, a little farther down from the cave, and stripped down to her underclothes and jumped into the waves. The ocean water was cold and refreshing and it washed her worries right away and left them to wash up on the sand where she would most likely pick them back up. She came up and looked around. The island was so beautiful from where she was floating. She created a few ice columns, the next always taller than the one before it to make it like steps, and climbed to the tallest one. There, she sat amongst her element to think. True, it was cold, but that was fine with her.

She noticed she could see a lot more from her little sanctuary than she could before. If she didn't have some kind of problem with the people who lived with her, she would want to stay there forever. She looked up and down the beach and spotted Zuko fiercely attacking the sand and water. A smile crept across her face as a plan ran through her mind. She wasn't sure if she could do it from this distance, but she could sure try. She bended some water up to her and froze it into a small slab and wrote a little message in it. She added more water to the bottom in case the hot sand melted some, she didn't want the message to be ruined. It floated out towards him, then landed on the sand and slid the rest of the way to him.

He looked down as something cold touched his feet. He knelt down and looked at the block of ice. It read: _I'm sorry_. He stood up and looked around, his eyes finally settling on her high above the water on her ice tower. And that's just what she had made it into. After the message made it to its destination, she brought more water to her and made her column into a small tower like you would see on a castle. She had closed herself in the room and looked out at him through her small window.

"Care to rescue a damsel in distress?" she called as he limped his way to her part of the sand.

"But you don't trust me, remember?"

"I'm sorry about that. I guess.. I don't know, I guess I just panicked. I wasn't sure what to think about all the attention, then I thought about what my brother would think if he knew what was going on. I'm really sorry."

He looked down and smiled at the sand. "How am I supposed to rescue you from up there without hurting you or myself?"

"Just catch me," she laughed. She lifted her arms up and created an ice slide from her 'window' to the beach. She climbed out of her window and slid down the slide right into Zuko's arms. "That was fun, do you want to try it before I turn it back into water?"

"Nah, I think I'm good," he said, smiling down at the girl he was holding. "I'm perfectly content with where I'm at."

"Is that so?" she asked playfully, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck.

"It is, indeed."

"Really?"

"Really really."

"Good."

Their noses touched as they stared into each others eyes. Both of their stomachs were flipping and they couldn't hold back the smiles on their faces.

"Zuko! Katara! Breakfast is ready!"

Zuko groaned and Katara sighed. "I guess we'd better go eat," she said.

"Yeah, I guess so."

They turned and walked back into the cave, hand in hand.

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**I know Zuko might have seemed a little OOC and I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but no one really knows what Zuko acts like when he likes someone.. so basically right now _all_ Zutara stories are a little OOC for Zuko. Anyway, I know a few of you are thankful for not being left with another cliffhanger! I hope you guys liked this chapter. I have a really kickass battle scene in the next chapter and the more reviews I get, the more I'll keep working on it to make it even better! You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	9. Chapter 9

_Okay, it took all day to get this posted because, for some reason, Fanfiction kept messing up and it wouldn't upload. Anyway, I appreciate the reviews as usual and this chapter might just be my favorite in this story.. so far anyway. Here's the fight scene I promised too! Tell me what you think because fight scenes have never been my strength._

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"Well, this is a pleasant surprise."

"What do you want?"

"Oh, you know, the same old thing."

"You won't win."

"Why isn't that stupid waterbender with you? She is your girlfriend, right?"

As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she was encased in rock and earth. "She's _not_ Aang's girlfriend!"

"Well, Avatar, I guess you went for the earthbender girl instead."

Aang and Toph blushed ever-so-slightly before jumping away from Azula's fire breath. Toph made an earth shield and Aang just twirled his staff to stop it. Aang noticed Azula was still smiling, then saw her eyes look to the forest around them.

Ty Lee jumped out of the trees behind Sokka and was about to render his boomerang arm useless, but his skills had greatly improved since they last battled and he was able to dodge her, also driven by the need to save his sister. He smirked at her and dodged another attempt.

"Not this time," he said as he jumped around her. The machete flew up next to his face as Mai's darts flew at him. "Why is everyone attacking _me_?"

Aang blew a gust of wind, knocking Mai back just a little, but Ty Lee had jumped back up into the trees to avoid it. Toph made the earth rumble and shake, but only made a couple of them stumble. Mai's darts pierced the earth dress that Azula was 'fashioned' with and she escaped it, shooting flames at Aang and Toph.

Mai shot darts out at Toph, but she heard them and pulled up an earth wall to catch them before punching the wall, sending it flying into Mai. She was caught offguard, but recovered quickly and jumped out from behind the wall before it smashed into a tree. Mai was about to shoot at her again until she saw Toph get swallowed by the earth. She stood there shocked for a second until she heard something behind her, right before something smacked her in the head. Her vision was only blurry for a second, but she shook it off and continued her battle.

Aang was having trouble with Azula on the other side of their camp. Luckily he could battle her easier with the little earthbending he knew and the waterskin that Katara had given him. Airbending wasn't enough to beat fire. A water whip caught her armguard but did no damage until Aang froze it and busted it with a rock. Azula growled as blue flames shot from her fingertips and caught Aang's shoulder scarf on fire. He removed it quickly and tossed it on the ground beside him. He shot boulders at her, but she gracefully dodged all but one, which sent her into a tree and disabled her only momentarily.

Sokka and Ty Lee were locked in a hand-to-hand combat. Ty Lee kept trying to get to his pressure points, but Sokka dodged her. He sliced his machete at her and thought he missed until he saw a trace of blood on it, then noticed the giant gash across her arm. For a moment he was proud of himself, but that pride was replaced by guilt soon after. He was taught never to hurt girls, but this was a totally different situation. It didn't stop him from feeling guilty though.

She held her arm and glared at him as his stance softened slightly. He was staring at her, his blue eyes not filled with hate like she had expected, but with pity and guilt and something else she couldn't quite read. She was about to attack again when Mai slammed him into a tree.

"Are you okay?" she called to Ty.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Let's get the other two."

Mai headed back towards Toph and Aang. Ty Lee followed, stopping only for a second to look back at the semi-conscious warrior on the ground.

"Now you're outnumbered, Avatar," Azula growled. "Just give yourself up, you can't win."

"I can and I will!" he yelled as a rock shot up under Azula, sending her flying through the air. Aang used his airbending to catch her, still high in the air, and tossed her out into the forest.

The other two had ganged up on Toph, but she was holding her own just fine. She stomped the ground and made it ripple under the girls, making them lose their balance. Aang jumped down in between them and blew the two away. Mai landed on the ground neatly then disappeared into the woods to find Azula, but Ty Lee hit a tree and was knocked unconscious. Mai hadn't noticed this and left her behind unintentionally. By then, Sokka was fully awake, but dazed slightly.

Aang and Toph jumped up on Appa's saddle, Aang airbending the rest of their supplies up with them. Sokka was about to climb up with them, then noticed the girl on the ground.

"Sokka, let's go before they come back!"

"We can't leave her," he said as he approached her.

"Yes we can, they'll come back for her."

"Aang, you did the same thing for Zuko in the North Pole. She's injured and if they don't come back for her, she could die if her arm gets infected."

"But they **WILL** come back for her!"

Sokka knelt down and picked her up bridal style. "Well I'm not willing to risk it. She needs our help."

Aang sighed and helped them up on Appa's back, then said the magic words to get them going, "Yip yip."

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"Azula, are you okay?"

"The Avatar will not escape me again. Failure is not an option. Where's Ty Lee?"

Mai looked around and realized her friend wasn't there. "I thought she was right behind me!"

"They must've either knocked her out and left her or they've taken her. We'll go back and check before we head back out. They've changed course and aren't heading for Ba Sing Sei anymore, so we'll have to hurry if we're going to catch up to them again."

"Where did we leave the lizards?"

Azula growled and smacked herself in the head. She'd forgotten to tie them up.

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This morning had been unusually peaceful. She woke up first again, Zuko's arms around her. She smiled and snuggled into the warmth and felt a small sigh from him across her neck. She giggled quietly and sat up, carefully removing Zuko's arms. The cave was still a little dark, but it was starting to get light outside. She ran out of the cave and inhaled the morning air before diving into the freezing ocean in her underclothes. She appreciated her alone time.

It was barely dawn when Zuko woke up with empty arms. He groaned and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the bottom of his palm. He looked around, but Katara was gone again.

"What is it with her and getting up before us?" he asked himself out loud.

He stood up and stretched, still a bit tired, then walked outside to find her. He was greeted with the sight of Katara's blue and black dress on the sand beside the water, but he didn't see her. His mind panicked and he started practically ripping his clothes off to jump in the water and find her when a giant ball of water came flying out of the ocean in front of him. Inside he saw a very concentrated Katara.

"Wow," he sighed, "I guess she learned a new trick."

The water ball was floating just above the ocean and Katara's eyes were closed, brow furrowed in concentration, her arms held out to the sides. Then, it all fell back into the ocean. He stood there for a second staring at the ocean with his shirt on the sand and his pants halfway off, waiting for her to come up before he took the dive into the freezing morning ocean.

After a couple seconds, her head popped up with a satisfied grin plastered across her face. "I learned a new trick!" she called out to him. "And pull your pants up!"

He blushed and pulled his pants back up, then grabbed his shirt off the sand and pulled it back over his head. By then, she was already coming out of the water. She was bending the water from her hair and underclothes.

"Were you spying on me, my lord?" she playfully asked him.

"What makes you think that, _peasant_?"

She giggled at him. "Maybe the fact that I found you standing on the beach watching me?"

"Actually, I just came to find you because you seem to keep running away almost every morning. Let me guess, you rose before the sun?"

"Nope, just before you. I rose with the sun this time."

"You're the strangest waterbender I know."

"And how many do you know?"

"Just you."

She laughed at him, making him laugh a little too. "Breakfast?"

"Not yet," he whispered, pulling her close and meeting her lips with his. She didn't pull back this time. This is what both of them had been wanting for a long time, but both too proud to admit it before. Falling in love with the enemy was a dangerous thing to do, but now he wasn't much of an enemy anymore and that fact made her feel more comfortable about them. Besides, as the days passed, the chances of them getting off the island grew slim and she knew that. Her brother couldn't object if he couldn't find her.

She pulled away for a second to take a breath and was about to say something until Zuko pulled her back in, refusing to ruin the moment. She smiled in the kiss and pulled away again, this time he let her.

"I'm hungry," she whispered, touching her forehead to his.

He sighed. "Fine, let's go."

When they got back to the cave, the other two were already up. Iroh looked at them with a big grin on his face, Kiatoh refused to look at them. He wasn't so jealous anymore, in fact she kind of intimidated him, but it didn't change the fact that he had liked her first. Iroh had already started breakfast and, of course, some tea.

"Where did you two run off to this morning?" he asked in an amused tone.

"I went for a swim and to practice a little before you guys got up, Zuko just came to find me." Katara bounced in the cave and sat next to Iroh.

"Yeah, I was just wondering why she always got up before everyone else," he responded.

Iroh looked between them and let his smile widen. "You know, Miss Katara, waterbenders usually don't rise with the sun. That's usually the firebender's job."

"I know. Someone told me something like that at the North Pole," she said, flashing a smile at Zuko. "But seriously, am I your average waterbender?"

"No, no, you're much more dangerous," Kiatoh simply stated with a hint of boredom in his voice.

"Um, thanks I guess. That actually means something coming from a firebender."

"I didn't say more dangerous than _me_, just dangerous."

"Don't start with me, you've seen and felt what I can do."

"She's right, Kiatoh. This is neither the time nor place to start anything," Iroh cut in.

"And besides," she continued. "I taught myself a new trick this morning. One that I don't think any waterbender can do, not even a master other than myself."

"Is that so?" Iroh asked curiously.

"It is, I saw it with my own two eyes. It was amazing."

"Suck-up."

All three of them shot glares at Kiatoh, who was sitting against the cave wall by himself, his arms folded over his chest. He was staring off to the side, out of the cave. Iroh shook his head and turned back to Zuko and Katara.

"So, tell me about your new trick."

Katara's smile grew back over her face. "I got the idea that I could levitate myself. You know how I can lift water, basically making it fly, right? Well, I created a ball of water around me, leaving air in there for me to breath, then I lifted my arms and started rising up out of the water still in the waterball. I couldn't hold it very long though. It takes a lot of energy and concentration. I figured with some practice, I could do something with it besides use it as a shield."

"That's very interesting," Iroh said, rubbing his beard.

"What?"

"I've never seen anything like that. Could you show me?"

"Maybe after I eat something," she giggled.

They finally dug into the rice that Iroh had made for breakfast. They all ate in an uncomfortable silence, but no one dared to disturb it. Katara finished first and ran out of the cave, right back out into the ocean. Zuko and Iroh followed behind her, Kiatoh trailing behind. He sat against a tree on the edge of the sand while Zuko and Iroh sat at the edge of the water. Katara had already dove in. Zuko was starting to get worried again when the ball of water rose up out of the ocean.

"Look, Zuko!" Iroh exclaimed, excitedly shaking his nephew's arm and pointing.

"I know, Uncle, I saw it earlier."

"She truly is a master of her element," he sighed.

Zuko was watching Katara's face through the water. Her eyes were closed again as she concentrated hard, trying to keep her element in control. He could tell she was trying to do something else with it at the slightest movement of her arms. Next thing he knew, he and Iroh were soaked and sprawled out over the sand near where Kiatoh was sitting under the trees. He looked down at them and smirked.

Zuko jumped up and looked out at the ocean to see nothing but the waves coming in. He glanced at his uncle, who was also searching the water for her. When she didn't come up for a few seconds, Zuko jumped up and took off across the sand, ripping his shirt off in the process. He dove headfirst into the waves, came up for air quickly, then went under again. Iroh had gotten up and started across the sand, even Kiatoh stood up nervously.

"Zuko!" yelled Iroh. It had been too long. He knew Zuko's lungs had never been strong, even as a young boy.

Finally, Zuko's head popped up out of the water as he dragged an unconscious Katara up with him. He swam with her in one arm until his feet finally met the ground and he carried her the rest of the way. He moved as quickly as one can through deep water.

"Uncle, help me! She isn't breathing!"

Iroh rushed into the water and took the limp girl from his nephew's arms. By then, Kiatoh had made his way down to the water's edge. Iroh laid her down in the sand. Zuko didn't know how to save anyone who had drowned, but luckily Iroh did. He tilted her head back, plugged her nose, and breathed in her mouth. He backed up and folded his hands together and began pumping on her chest.

"What are you doing? Trying to break her ribs?" Zuko yelled.

"I'm trying to pump the water from her lungs. When I tell you, plug her nose and breath in her mouth... now."

Zuko did as he was told. Iroh pumped a few more times, then motioned for Zuko to do it again. After a couple minutes of this, she turned over and started coughing up the water. Zuko held her until she stopped coughing, then picked her up and carried her back to the cave, the other two following.

"Are you okay? What happened?" he asked worriedly.

"Zuko, let her rest," Iroh calmly said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'll make some tea."

Zuko laid her down as gently as possible on the cave floor while Kiatoh started a fire and Iroh started the tea. Katara was in and out of consciousness and Zuko kept a close eye on her. He held her hand and silently prayed to Agni that she would be okay. Then he remembered her prayer in the ocean. The prayer to the moon. _What had she called it? Yen? Yu? Yue? That's it!_ He made another silent prayer to Yue, though he didn't know why. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"Here, see if she'll drink a little of this," Iroh whispered, pushing a small cup into Zuko's hand. Her eyes slowly opened as she re-entered the world of the conscious.

He held her head up and whispered, "Here, drink this." He felt her nod and put the cup to her lips. She blew on it with her ice breath to cool it down a bit before she sipped at it.

"Thank you," she whispered before her eyes slowly closed again.

"She just needs to sleep. She may have used all her energy pulling off that new trick and that's why she's so exhausted. Come boys, you still need to train. We'll only be right outside, she'll be fine until we get back."

Kiatoh nodded and stood up to follow Iroh out. Zuko carefully laid her back down and followed them. Katara finally stopped fighting the sleep and let it take her for good this time, at least until her body was rested enough to move. She dreamt she was with her friends again, no Zuko this time.

_Her brother was telling a stupid joke, Aang was pretending to laugh at it, and Toph was just staring off the side of Appa's saddle through sightless eyes. It seemed they hadn't known she was gone or they refused to acknowledge it._

_"Hey guys, where's Zuko?" she asked them._

_"Who's Zuko?" Toph wondered as she tore her gaze from the horizon._

_"Oh, just some angry freak with a ponytail who's tracked us all over the world," Sokka cut in._

_"What's wrong with ponytails, Ponytail?" Katara joked. Why did all of this give her a sense of deja-vu?_

_"This is a warrior's wolf tail."_

_"No, seriously, where is he?"_

_Aang turned to look at her. "We haven't seen him since we left the North Pole. You know that. Are you feeling okay?"_

_She shook her head and smiled. "Maybe it was just a dream I had."_

_"You dreamed about that stupid firebender!" Sokka yelled._

_"He's not stupid!" she defended. All of them looked at her funny._

_"Katara, why are you taking up for him? You hate him just as much as we do," Aang pointed out._

_Toph raised her hand. "I'm not part of 'we', I don't know him."_

_"But you know his uncle."_

_"I do?"_

_"Yeah, you met him right before we helped him and Zuko battle Azula."_

_"Who's Azula and why would we help Zuko or his family? Katara, are you sure you're okay?" Sokka worried._

_She sighed. What was going on? "Azula is Zuko's evil sister. She's the leader of those girls from Omashu that are chasing us."_

_"It was just a dream, Katara," Aang said from Appa's head. "Sokka's right, we would never intentionally help Zuko in a battle."_

_"Maybe this is the dream," she thought out loud, but quiet enough so no one would hear._

_"So, what happened in this dream?"_

_She looked up and smiled. She wanted to know her brother's reaction just in case she never got to see it. "I was trapped on an island with Zuko, his uncle, and his friend Kiatoh. Me and Zuko were kind of dating and I liked it. Ooh, and I taught myself a new waterbending trick!"_

_Sokka's laughter was too much. Even Aang and Toph joined in. Sokka calmed down enough to say, "That was definitely a dream! You would never date Zuko!"_

_Aang agreed. "Yeah, he's our enemy. You would never betray us like that, would you? Of course not!" He looked back at her and gave her one of his big cheesy grins._

_She laughed nervously. "Of course not." Well, so much for that. At least this is a dream!_

_"Besides," he continued, "you're much too good for him." She noticed a blush spread across his cheeks and seriously hoped this was a dream._

_"Katara, wake up," Sokka said, only it wasn't Sokka. It came from his mouth, but the voice was a bit deeper. "Katara, you've been asleep all day, wake up."_

She saw her friends fading away and everything was getting dark. Then she saw Zuko's face only inches from hers. It startled her some and she jumped, making him back up a little. She looked around frantically hoping to see her friends nearby somewhere, but no such luck. She let out a frustrated yell and Zuko tried to calm her down.

"Hey, take it easy. You had a rough morning, you shouldn't get all riled up this soon after what happened. Just take it easy."

"Why'd you wake me up! I was with them again! Back where I should be, back with my friends, my family."

"I thought maybe you'd like to eat something before the morning," he said calmly. He held out a bowl of something.

"What is that? And where did we get bowls?"

"This is gruel and the bowls were in my uncle's box of things that we found on the beach. They were buried at the bottom."

"Ugh, why didn't we bring any of that fruit with us?"

Zuko smiled at her. "I forgot all about that. We can go look for some tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

"Right now, you need to eat and rest. You should be ready to get up and do stuff in the morning." He put out the fire from dinner and scooted back to her side. Iroh and Kiatoh had already dozed off. "Oh, I took a nap earlier and someone came to me in my dream. She looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out where I'd seen her."

"What'd she look like?" Katara asked with a mouthful of the mushy stuff.

"I-I don't even remember now, but she said to tell you something. She said-" he paused, knowing what would come with his next words, "-to tell you they're coming."

Katara stopped eating and looked at him wide-eyed. "They're coming?" She felt her eyes fill up with tears of joy. "It was Yue! Did she say when they would be here?"

Zuko shook his head sadly. He was glad she was happy, but that would only ruin their little paradise. Things were finally starting to go right in his life, and once again the Avatar was going to ruin it all. He hated the boy for that. He knew all about his little infatuation with Katara, she had told him about it the night they stayed up on his ship. If he came back to get her, she would probably run into his arms without a second thought about himself, then they would leave and he'd never see her again. They probably wouldn't even send anyone out to the island to get them.

"Zuko, are you alright? This is great news, we get to leave!"

"Yeah, it's great."

She stopped cheering for a second to look at him seriously. "You don't want them to come."

"Everything is so great the way it is right now, I just don't want to mess it up. For once in my life, things are going great and, just like everything else, it's only going to be ruined again."

"Zuko, nothing's going to change between us."

"What about the Avatar? And your brother? I know he would try to kill me if he found out. For all I know, they would all gang up on me!"

"Then I'll just have to protect you. Aang will understand your change of heart and would be more than happy for you to join us, but it would take him a little longer to accept _'us'_. And Sokka, I can deal with him. He wouldn't trust you ever in his life, but I can get him to the point where he won't try to slit your throat in the night."

"Gee, thanks."

"Everything will be okay, I promise."

"You need your rest," he said quietly as he stood.

"Where are you going?"

"I just need to be alone for a little bit."

And with that, he left. Katara curled up on the cold cave floor and soon rejoined her friends on Appa's saddle.

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**Do you see why I love this chapter! Great fight scene, new waterbending move, and the dream was pretty good. And fluff! Good ol' Zutara fluff, nothing better! I don't know how long it'll take me to update because I'm getting behind for some reason, but I promise it won't be too long. Until then, you know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**

**P.S. I checked my stats today and there are 38 people who have this story on alert and 25 have it in their favorites, but I never seem to get that many reviews after my chapters. Come on, guys! Help me out here! Reviews are like fuel for my artistic soul! The more reviews I get, the better I feel about myself and the faster I'll finish my chapters.** _Puppy dog eyes_


	10. Chapter 10

_I'm incredibly grateful for the number of reviews I got. I'm sorry that this is a shorter chapter, but I just wanted to end it where it ended for some reason. There's a special surprise at the end of the chapter that you guys will find cute. I just had to leave it up there. Well, here's Chapter 10!_

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Zuko walked along the beach, staring at his feet. He didn't know how far he walked and he didn't really care. He just had to get away. His eyes were drawn out over the ocean and he watched the waves gently smooth the sand out. Then his eyes slowly made it up to the moon. He noticed if you watched it for a minute, you could almost see her face.

"Yue, why would you tell me something like that?" he whispered. "Who are you and how do I know you?"

He wasn't watching where he was walking and ran into something, making him fall on the sand. He almost screamed when he saw what, or rather who it was that he ran into.

"You know who I was. I was once the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe."

"Why-h-how are you here?" he stuttered at the girl.

She smiled at him as he attempted to stand up again. "I told you because you are to join them. They will not turn you away because I will not let them. I can help Sokka accept your relationship with Katara. I'm glad she finally found someone, though you aren't exactly what I expected for her. They have an addition to their group now that you may recognize, so I'll do what I can to help them get a better mode of transportation because Appa won't be able to carry all of you."

Zuko was still in shock and trying to get over the fact that he could still see through her. "Y-you mean, like a ship?"

She giggled a little. "Yeah, something like that." She paused and looked up at the sky. "I don't have much time left. Tell Katara to keep her eyes on the horizon in a couple days. Now, go back to her. Everything will turn out okay."

He wanted to ask her more, but she had already faded back into the nothingness that she had appeared out of. "Well, at least now I know where I know she from," he muttered to himself as he turned back the way he had come. He walked faster than before, a little anxious to get back to Katara. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her what Yue said though. "I'm being selfish, that's why," he sighed. "Maybe things will be okay. I think I can trust her. I _want_ to trust her."

He made it back to the cave and saw her curled up near his uncle, her hand near her face and wound up in her loose hair. He smiled and quietly made it over to her, curling up behind her and wrapping her up in his arms. A small sigh escaped her slightly parted lips and he felt her snuggle into him. Maybe things will be okay.

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"Why are you doing this?"

"Because it could get infected and that could be dangerous."

"No, I mean why are you helping me?"

"We're nice people."

"Ouch!"

"Sorry." Sokka was cleaning and wrapping Ty Lee's arm as good as he knew how. "If Katara were here, she'd be able to heal this no problem."

"She's the waterbender, right?"

"Yeah."

"Where is she?"

"We have no idea, but it's near the water and we're pretty sure she's with Zuko. I swear if he touches my sister, I'll kill him."

Ty Lee was relieved. Part of her mind thought Katara was his girlfriend. "So.. why would she be with Zuko?"

"Because he kidnapped her a couple weeks ago."

"Can you guys keep it down over there? Some of us are trying to sleep," Toph grumbled, still half-asleep.

"Sorry, Toph."

When Sokka was done, she took her arm back and held it. "What are you going to do with me now?"

"Well, we can either drop you off at the next town or.. you can, um, stay with us. You just seem too innocent to be hanging around Azula."

Ty Lee giggled. "I guess I'll keep that in mind, but I can't stay. Azula wouldn't hesitate to have me killed if she found me again."

"Well, for all she knows, we kidnapped you. You could stay with us until she finds us again and they'll 'rescue' you."

"I guess that's okay," she smiled. She winced as her arm started throbbing again. "Do you think it'll need stitches?"

"We can have it checked out before we head out over the ocean if you want."

"Yeah, it really hurts. Where are we going exactly?"

"Back to the island we lost her on. We figured maybe we could try tracking them from there, even though it's been a while. It was our best idea so far, unless you can think of something."

"Nothing's coming to me, but it's a good idea. You have to start somewhere."

Sokka looked up at the moon and smiled. He felt as if someone was whispering in his ear, but Ty Lee wasn't close enough. His smile faded as he realized what it was. He closed his eyes and turned his head away.

"Aang, we need a ship."

Aang turned around on Appa's head to look at the older boy. "Why do we need a ship?"

"Because Appa can't carry everyone we have to get."

"What are you talking about, we're just getting Katara."

"We're apparently getting a few others too, your firebending teacher included."

Aang's confused face asked him everything, but he still voiced his questions. "How do you know?"

"Yue," was his simple response.

"Well.. I guess that's good news then, huh?" Aang said cheerfully. Always the optimist, Sokka would say.

"Yeah, sure."

Ty Lee looked at him worriedly. "Is there something else bothering you?"

Sokka shook his head. He was sad at the memory of Yue, but angry at what all she had told him, especially the part he hadn't told the others. Part of him wanted to be mad at his sister, but the other part said it wasn't her fault. After spending so much time with those guys, firebenders or not, she was bound to get along with them eventually. Getting along meant she was beginning to like them. He just hoped she didn't like the one he thought.

"Sokka?"

Sokka was snapped out of his thoughts by Aang's voice. "I'm sorry, what?"

"How are we supposed to get a ship?"

"I don't know, go to a non-Fire Nation town. Tell them you're the Avatar and that we're on an important mission and maybe they'll just give us one."

"Or you could just take one and return it later," Toph mumbled sleepily. "Now you can be quiet because I'm still tired."

They all smiled at the young earthbender and whispered among themselves, Sokka still hiding the rest of Yue's message.

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"That's _cold_!"

"You're the one that wanted to spar."

"I know, but you made it that cold on purpose!"

"That's the great thing about sparring, I can do whatever I like to win."

She smirked at the firebender before her. She knew his moves and could almost predict and dodge them. The heat from his body made steam rise off of his bare chest from her water. He tried so hard to catch her by surprise, but all the practicing she'd been doing had brought her reflexes up greatly. He shot two fireballs at her and she jumped to the ground and rolled away, bringing her arms around to swallow him in a wave. He recovered quickly and circled them in flames. She doused the flames behind her and jumped into the water. He ran to the edge, the waves licking at his ankles, and shot more at her.

He was on the ground. He shook his head, his wet hair slapping his forehead, and took a second to think about what just happened. Before he realized it, she had an icicle under his throat.

"I believe I win," she taunted.

He thought quickly and did a spin-kick, knocking her down. He jumped on top and pinned her arms to the sand. "I think _I_ win," he whispered in her ear.

She confused him with her smile. She blew up his face and in his hair, freezing all the water she had attacked him with. "Call it a tie?"

"For now, peasant," he managed to say. He unpinned her arms and put his hands to his face, quickly heating it back up and melting the ice on his face and hair. He stood up and helped her up, pulling her into his arms. "You won't win next time, though."

"Don't be so sure about that, my prince."

She wrapped her arms around his chest and his arms found their way around her. They stared into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity, noses touching. A voice in Zuko's head spoke up and he knew he had to tell her about the night before. "Katara, I need to tell you something."

"You ruined it."

He smiled, then turned his face serious again. "Last night, after I left you, your friend Yue visited me again only this time she was almost _real_."

"Why does she come to you and not me?"

"I don't know, but I prayed to her the day you almost drowned because I'd heard you pray to her before. Since then I've been seeing her. Anyway, she told me to tell you to keep your eyes on the horizon in a couple of days. She said everything would be okay and she would help your brother cope with 'us'."

"That's great but.. how are we all supposed to get off this island on Appa?"

"She's taking care of that. She didn't say exactly what to look for, she just said _'a better mode of trasportation'_."

She laid her head on his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat, which slowly quickened as they stood like that. She felt tears tugging at her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. She wasn't even sure what brought them on, but part of her knew it had something to do with them leaving.

"Katara, are you okay? You're shaking."

She took a deep breath to calm herself before she opened her mouth. "I'm fine. It's just.." she trailed off before the urge to cry came back.

He held her tighter. "You don't want to leave yet either, do you?"

"No," she whispered, tightening her grip on him as well. "As much as I want to see them again, I don't want to leave our paradise. They won't accept us as easily as I want them to. The world won't accept us. Zuko, I love you."

Chills ran up and down his spine and his stomach twisted at her words. He smiled and whispered into her hair, "I love you too, Katara. I don't know where I'd be without you." He buried himself into her sweet scent and let his thoughts take him away. He wanted so badly for that moment to last forever, but like everything else in the world, everything had to end at sometime.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Why do you have to do that, Uncle?" Zuko asked, annoyance in his tone.

Katara turned her head around to the old man, but left it on Zuko's chest. "Did you need something?"

"Oh no, I was just coming to find you. You've been gone for a while and I started to get worried."

"We're fine, Uncle. We were practicing."

"Are you hungry? I have lunch made."

Katara smiled. "I could eat, sparring can take a lot out of you."

Zuko reluctantly let her go and they followed Iroh back to the cave to eat. He did like that she didn't let go of his hand. He was practically floating after their little conversation. He never thought anyone, other than his uncle of course, would ever love him. He felt like he could do anything and he could be the real him around her. She made him feel whole again. At that moment, he truly didn't care about his father. He knew where he was needed and wanted.

He let out a sigh and a smile. _I'm wanted._

They could tell Kiatoh had been practicing from all the scorch marks in the trees next to the sand. Something in Katara's head spoke up and she let go of Zuko's hand and took off into the trees. Zuko and Iroh were caught offguard by this, but let her go. Zuko had an idea of what she was doing. They went ahead and made it to the cave for lunch, but he wouldn't eat until she came back.

A minute or two later, she came running back into the cave with an armload of the mangos she had found when they first arrived. Kiatoh and Iroh looked up at her happily as she tossed them one. She sat down next to Zuko and handed him one, setting the rest down in a small pile on the floor.

"Where did you get these?" Kiatoh spoke up.

"I found a lot of them when we first got here. They're all over the place!" She finally dug into the stew that Iroh had made and started eating. Kiatoh ate his mango quickly and went back out to practice, Iroh soon following. Katara and Zuko quietly finished their meals, then Katara flung herself back onto the cave floor. "I'm tired."

Zuko smiled down at her before propping himself against the wall. He looked further into the cave, but didn't see anything but black. His eyes moved back to his feet, but glanced at Katara every once in a while. She was out in a matter of minutes. He kissed her on the head and stood up to go join the other two firebenders to practice.

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"If we could just borrow one, that would be fine. It's an emergency!"

"And your flying animal can't take you?"

"He can, but he won't be able to get back. We have to rescue our friends on an island and he can't carry everyone. _Please_, we'll bring it back when we get them."

"And what makes you think I can trust you?"

"Because I'm the Avatar!"

The old man looked down at the young tattooed boy. He sighed and nodded his head with a slight smile on his face, pointing down to a small ship at the end of the dock. "I knew you'd be coming. Just be careful with her. Do you need to know how it works or can you figure it out?"

"I think we can manage," Ty Lee answered for them. Truthfully, she barely knew anything about ships, but how hard could it be to figure out?

Aang looked at her hopefully, then back at the old man. "Do you think anyone would volunteer to be part of our crew just in case something happens?"

"The way the news of your return has affected my town, I'm sure people would help. _Anyone want to be in the Avatar's crew!_" he yelled over the noise of the crowded docks.

"I will!"

"Me! I'll help!"

"Me too!"

"I want to help!"

There were about 20 people that automatically came running up to them frantically. Aang's big cheesy grin spread out over his face as he looked at his crew. Being the Avatar did have its advantages!

"Okay, we're on a mission to find my friend. She was kidnapped and we know where to look first, but we may end up having to track them. If you're all okay with this, let's get going."

"Wait," one boy called out. "Do you know who kidnapped her? Who we're chasing?"

Aang's eyes sadly traveled to the boy before he turned completely. "The Fire Nation."

Gasps and whispers could be heard through the small crowd, but no one left and Aang was grateful for that. He turned and headed for the small ship at the end of the dock. His friends and new crew slowly followed. A little while later, the boat was sailing towards the horizon, on their way to find their friend.

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**This part was written by my 6-month old daughter, who was sitting in my lap playing with the keyboard at the time. Enjoy! lol**

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**Again, sorry about the shortness. I promise the next chapter will be longer and have more action! Ooh, and fighting! But not between who you'd expect.. dun dun duuunnn! I liked that Yue was in this one too. Okay everyone, you know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	11. Chapter 11

_Hello again, my faithful readers. I just want to say I'm not in a very good mood right this minute, but because I love you guys so much I figured I could go ahead and post this chapter tonight. This one is a cliffhanger, just thought it'd be fair to warn you. Oh, and Ty Lee's eyes were grayish the first time we saw her, but I have an episode where her eyes are goldish-brown. Odd.._

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Sokka paced the deck of the ship as the last rays of sunlight gave in to the night sky. He was sleepy, but didn't want to sleep in case they got there sooner. Aang had told him it would be at least a couple days, but Sokka refused to listen and stayed up anyway. Everyone was worried about him, even some of the crew. He'd been acting differently since he heard from Yue and they weren't sure if it was because of her or not.

"Sokka?"

He stopped pacing to see Ty Lee standing just a few feet from him. "Yeah?"

"What's wrong?"

He sighed and started pacing again. "Nothing."

"I know something's wrong and you'll feel better if you just tell someone. Trust me, I know."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Sokka, please," she pleaded, placing a gentle hand on his arm as he walked past her again.

He stopped for a second to look at her hand, then at her. Her brownish-gold eyes stood out even in the darkness of night. He pulled his arm from her grasp and walked to the side of the ship, sitting down next to the rail with his head in his hands. She cautiously sat down in front of him.

"Yue wants me to be okay with Katara's relationships. I'm not sure exactly what she meant by that, but I'm afraid that she's liking them more than I'm comfortable with."

"Who's Yue?"

"I _really _don't want to talk about that one."

"So.. what exactly are you worried about?"

"That she likes one of them. Zuko is the only one I know of that's with her, but Yue made relationships plural, meaning more than one. If it's Zuko, I'll kill him. I don't want my sister mixed up with anyone like that."

"You mean Fire Nation."

"Yeah."

"So what about me? I'm Fire Nation."

"You're different. You're good."

"Maybe he is too but you won't give him a chance."

"Maybe I don't want to give him a chance because he's been trying too long to kill us and capture Aang!"

"If Katara is as good as you say, she could have changed him for the better. People can change, you know."

"Like you?"

She smiled as he looked up at her. "Like me."

They sat that way under the light of the moon for a while. It was Sokka that finally broke the silence with a yawn. "I think I'm going to bed."

"You mean, you aren't staying up in case we see land?" she laughed.

"I'm too tired," he replied, stifling another yawn.

He got up and helped her up before heading back to their rooms. As soon as Sokka's head hit the pillow, he was asleep.

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_They saw how the moon pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves.._

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Katara was awakened by a strange noise outside the cave. She gently pulled herself out of Zuko's grasp and peeked outside. Her eyes widened as she saw what was there, but was almost afraid to go out. She didn't know who was on that ship and thought the worst for a moment.

"Hey guys, we're on land already!"

"I thought you said we'd be a couple days!"

"I don't know what happened! Maybe we misread the map!"

"Is this the right place?"

She took off out of the cave to see her brother and Aang peeking off the side of the ship. "Aang! Sokka!"

"Katara!" the boys yelled simultaneously. Aang jumped off the side of the ship and floated down neatly on the beach, Sokka just jumped over the side of the ship and into the water before making it to the beach.

Before she knew it, Aang had tackled her to the ground in a hug. Sokka watched and laughed as he made it to his sister, helping her up from the sand. He pulled her into a big platypus-bear hug.

"I guess I was missed," she laughed.

"What are you wearing?"

"I'll explain later."

"Hey, Sugar Queen!"

Katara looked over to where the other people were getting off the ship and saw Toph making her way to them. She smiled and ran to her and gave her a hug. "I even missed you, Toph."

"Things just weren't the same without you yelling at everyone," she teased.

Zuko came stumbling out of the cave, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning. "Katara, what's all the-" He paused mid-sentence to take in the crowd on the beach and the stunned looks on the few familiar faces. He saw Sokka pull his boomerang and machete out, but Katara quickly stopped him.

"Katara, what are you doing?" he yelled.

"They're helping and you aren't going to hurt them," she replied calmly.

"Can you hurt him!" Aang yelled from behind them.

They spun around to see Aang being held by Kiatoh. Katara started forward, but Kiatoh brought a flame next to his face. "I wouldn't do that, Katara."

"Kiatoh, what are you doing?"

"It was all part of the plan, right Zuko?"

Katara spun on Zuko, who had a shocked look on his face. "What? You lied to me!" Before he could answer, she had tackled him to the sand. He grabbed her wrists before she could hit him, though she did manage one good punch to the side of his jaw that had only recently healed. "You lied to me, you arrogant son-of-a-"

"Miss Katara!"

"Don't, Iroh! He lied to me! He just wanted Aang the whole time and.. _AAAAHHH_!" she screamed as she was hoisted off of Zuko. "Let go! Let me go _right now_!" She kicked and screamed until she was dropped onto the sand. She looked up and was surprised to see that it had been her own brother to pull her off of the firebender that he himself was about to attack moments before. She looked around to see Kiatoh still had Aang by the throat.

"Let him go now, Kiatoh," Zuko growled, picking himself up off the sand.

"But this was our plan. This is the only reason we put up with the Water Tribe wench, because we knew he would come back for her." He turned his attention back to Aang. "Your little girlfriend is quite a good waterbender."

"She's not Aang's girlfriend!"

Toph didn't work well in sand, but managed well enough to knock Kiatoh back some, releasing Aang. He regained his balance quickly and reached for Aang again, but was fireblasted into a tree and frozen there.

"You're staying on the island, the rest of us are leaving," Aang said.

Kiatoh melted the ice, but was just as quickly pinned to the tree again with earth. "Betcha can't get out of that!" Toph yelled.

"Aang, are you okay?"

Everyone turned to Zuko as he said Aang's name. It sounded strange coming from his mouth. Aang finally spoke, "I'm fine. Thanks, Zuko."

Katara noticed him rubbing his jaw where she had hit him, another small bruise slowly making its appearance. "I guess _he_ was the one lying, huh?"

"You think?" he spat.

"I'm sorry, I guess part of me was expecting it from you."

"Are we leaving or not?" he asked, storming past her to the ship.

She looked at Aang and smiled half-heartedly. Sokka was watching her suspiciously, which made her uncomfortable, but either way she was glad to have them all back with her. "Where did you get this ship?" she asked, making it across the sand to her friends.

"Back at a town we were at just yesterday. I'm still trying to figure out how we got here so fast, but I feel that a part of me already knows."

"What's with you and Zuko?" Sokka asked suddenly.

Katara was taken back by the question. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"There's nothing going on," she sighed. "Nothing at all. We're just friends. Get on the ship, Aang and I will get us out of here."

Toph and Sokka climbed back up the ladder on the side while Katara and Aang pushed and pulled the water to get the ship back in the ocean. Soon enough, they were back out and heading for land, leaving Kiatoh stuck to a tree on the island. They could barely hear him yelling over the crash of the waves on the ship. Katara sat down against the railing with her head resting on her folded up knees. The boys knew not to bother her.

"Something you want to talk about?"

Katara lifted her head to see the girl standing above her. She recognized her face immediately and jumped up. "You're the girl from Omashu that took my bending away! What are you doing here?"

Ty Lee held up her bandaged arm. "Your brother," was all she said.

"Oh," she replied quietly before slowly sitting back down. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Ty Lee sat beside her.

They sat quietly for a few minutes before Ty Lee broke the silence. "So.. do you like Zuko?"

"Do you like my brother?"

Ty Lee smiled. "Maybe a little."

"Then, maybe a little.. or a lot."

"That's something he was worrying over on the way out here."

"Sometimes I just wish he would stop worrying about me so much. I was perfectly fine on that island. Part of me didn't even want to leave because I loved it there. It was my own little slice of paradise."

"It sounds wonderful," she sighed.

"Oh, it was. I'm glad you guys didn't end up on the beach with all the blood or Sokka would've died thinking it was mine."

Ty Lee's eyes shot over to Katara curiously. "Beach with blood?"

"From the other crew members from Zuko's ship. I went walking and they attacked me and I.. um, I defended myself.." she finished quietly.

"Oh.. wow," Ty Lee whispered. "So, you're like a really _powerful_ waterbender, huh?"

"That's what they tell me. I even taught myself a new trick while I was on the island. It was so cool, but it took a lot of energy out of me."

"I wish I could bend."

"So does Sokka sometimes," Katara giggled. "Me and Aang always had him outnumbered, and now with Toph he feels even more left out. He's a good warrior though."

"That he is."

"Are you staying with us?"

Ty Lee shrugged. "Azula would kill me if I joined you guys, literally, but she probably thinks I'm kidnapped so I'll have to leave with her when we run into her again. Until then, yeah, I'm staying with you guys."

"It's good to have another girl around. Toph is more of a tomboy," she smiled. "I wish she and Aang would get together, maybe his infatuation with me will go away so I don't have to break his heart."

"Well, I've noticed she gets quite upset when someone calls you his girlfriend."

"I guess that's a start."

They looked at each other and laughed. Just then, Zuko walked out on deck. Katara looked up at him from her spot on the floor, but he avoided her gaze. Instead, he walked to the opposite side and leaned over the rail, watching the water pass. Katara's eyes wandered back down to her lap.

"Go talk to him," Ty Lee whispered, nudging Katara a little.

"Are you sure I should?"

"Yeah."

Katara smiled at her, then got up and slowly made her way over to where he was standing. She leaned over the rail next to him and watched the water. Bending a stream of it up to her, she formed it into an ice figure and floated it in front of his downcast eyes. He managed a smirk and glanced at her. He held out his hand and let the ice fall into it, then he looked it over.

"I'm really sorry, Zuko."

"I know," he sighed, "but if you can't trust me, nothing will become of this relationship."

"I _want_ to trust you, I really do, but months of chasing us around the world and trying to kill us can't exactly be forgotten within a few days being stranded on an island with you. Trust comes with time. You've earned most of it from me, but time will earn you the rest."

He was still looking over the figure in his hand, which was slowly starting to melt. "Is this supposed to be us?"

"It's supposed to be."

"It's good. Did you tell your brother or friends anything?"

"I kind of told her a little," she said, pointing to Ty Lee.

That was the first time he had noticed her and he jumped a little. "What are you doing here?" he yelled.

Katara placed a gentle hand on his arm, signaling for him to calm down. "She's okay, she's with us for the time being."

_They have an addition to their group now that you may recognize.._

"I wasn't expecting her. For all we know, she's a spy for my sister."

"I'm not spying," she assured him, holding up her arm again. "I was injured and her brother helped me. Now, I'm just hanging out until Azula comes to 'rescue' me. I would stay, but.. well, you know your sister."

Zuko nodded. "I know."

"So, are you two okay?"

Katara looked down and shrugged. Zuko cautiously took her hand in his and nodded. "I think we are now."

Head still down, she closed her eyes and smiled before jumping into his arms, catching him offguard and almost knocking him down. Ty Lee giggled at the sight. That very moment, Sokka decided to speak up from his hiding place.

"You could've at least told me instead of lying to me, Katara. I am your brother, or did you forget that?"

Katara jumped back a few feet away from Zuko, surprise written all over her face. "S-Sokka! No, let me explain-"

"No, I think I've seen and heard enough." He turned and walked away from them, back into the depths of the ship. Ty Lee looked over to an upset Katara, then jumped up and ran after Sokka.

Katara screamed her frustration out into the ocean air. "Why can't things ever go the way they're supposed to!"

She flung herself down onto the deck, head resting on her knees again. She only let a single tear find its way down her cheek before jumping back up, startling Zuko, and furiously practicing her waterbending. He watched her increasingly sloppy moves before he finally did something about it. He walked up behind her, careful to avoid any water whips, and hugged her from behind to pin her arms to her sides.

"Calm down," he gently whispered into her ear. "Yue said everything would be okay, just give Ty Lee some time to talk to your brother. He'll come around."

Katara relaxed some and let him hold her. She wanted to cry more than a tear, but refused herself that. She was stronger than that. Her legs felt weak suddenly and Zuko helped her sit down. She laid her head against his chest and just listened to his heartbeat as he ran his fingers through her hair. It was then that she realized how straight it was compared to when she had first taken it down on their ship.

"Are you two okay?" They both looked up to see Iroh coming towards them. "You seem kind of down."

Zuko looked down at Katara, then back up at his uncle. "Let's just say that her brother saw something he disapproved of."

"Ah, the overprotective brother. They just don't know when to let go, do they?" he chuckled.

"No," Katara said quietly.

Katara noticed Aang coming out on the deck, but didn't move. Right then, she didn't care if his heart was broken or not. He looked over them all before finally asking, "Is this why Sokka is screaming about killing Zuko?"

"Tell him I've done alot worse since you guys have last seen me and he'd better not try anything. I'd rather not talk about that so don't even ask me."

Aang turned back around and went to find Sokka. When he finally did find him, Ty Lee was trying to calm him down.

"He cares for her and she's happy, that should be enough for you."

"He's a firebender and our enemy and I won't let him corrupt my sister!"

"I was an enemy once too, Sokka! There's not much difference between me and him."

"Then why don't _you_ go be with him so he'll leave my sister alone!"

Ty Lee stopped arguing and just blinked at him. She stood up and walked out the door, brushing past Aang. Aang watched her walk down the hall before turning on Sokka. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but what you just said to her was wrong. She likes you and you just yelled at her to be with someone else. Stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about what's best for Katara, even if it means being with Zuko!"

"So you're against me too?"

"I said I don't like this, but if Katara is happy then I'll accept it. You should too. And I'd go apologize to Ty Lee as well."

Aang left Sokka alone to think about what he had just said. He found Katara and Zuko still sitting out on the deck, only Iroh, Toph, and Ty Lee were with them and they were all talking. He walked to the small crowd and sat down next to Toph.

"Did you talk to him?" Katara asked when she noticed him.

"Yeah. I'm not sure what good it did though."

"So where did you get that bruise?" Ty Lee asked Zuko, ready to change the subject.

"Katara," he replied, squeezing her closer. "It's not the first time she punched me in the face either. Back when I had a ship, she actually broke my jaw. I believe that was only the first or second day I had her. I'm warning you now, you don't want to get her mad. Not only can she hit hard, but her bending has improved greatly since we battled in the North Pole."

Aang and Toph were laughing, Ty Lee was smiling, and Iroh was holding one back. Of course, Iroh had been there for all of that.

One of the volunteer crew came running from the helm, yelling, "Avatar Aang! There's a ship approaching fast and it has red sails. What should we do?"

"Fire Nation!" Aang yelled as he boosted himself to his feet with his airbending.

"Wait," Zuko said, standing up. He walked to the side and looked out, his eyes narrowing at the sight. "That's not Fire Nation."

"Who is it, then?" Aang and Toph asked.

"Pirates."

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**(dramatic drums)**

**Mwahahaha! I just finished this chapter earlier today so I have no idea what I'm doing with it in the next chapter lol. I hope you guys liked this one, I thought it was decent. There will be a fight scene though, I can assure you! You probably already assumed that though.. Anywho, you know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks for all the mad attention this story has been getting! I love that you guys love this story so much, it means a lot. And the reviews are practically pouring in! (happy dance) Well, here's the part you've been waiting for ever since Zuko said:_

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"Pirates."

"Oh no, the same ones we ran into before?"

"By the looks of that ship, yes."

"What are we going to do?"

"The only thing we _can_ do. We're going to have to fight them."

Zuko watched as the ship sailed closer to their own. He had had two bad encounters with those people and he feared this one wouldn't be any more pleasant. Katara and Ty Lee had joined him watching the ship.

"So, I'm guessing you guys know them?" Ty Lee asked.

"Yes," Zuko and Katara answered together.

Katara turned a little and started moving her arms up and building up a wave. Aang joined her and together they made it gigantic, then pushed their arms out towards the ship hoping to flip it, or at least damage it. The wave kept growing as it approached the pirate ship, but to everyone's surprise, it stopped before it hit and was sent back.

"Oh no, they have waterbenders on their ship! Wait, _waterbenders_?"

"Hey, maybe waterbenders stole the ship from the pirates!" Aang cheered happily while Katara was working on stopping the wave.

"Are you always so optimistic?" Zuko asked the young boy.

"Yep!"

Aang's trademark cheesy grin made Zuko smile a little. Both of them stopped smiling when they noticed how close the other ship was getting.

"It's going to hit us!" Ty Lee yelled.

"Not if I can help it!" Katara said as she started pushing the water around their ship to speed them up. "Aang, get on the other side and help!"

Aang did as he was told and they started moving faster, but not fast enough. The pirate ship hit the rear of their ship, causing everyone to fall over. They heard growls and roars and knew the pirates had come aboard.

"Well, if it isn't our old friend Prince Zuko," said an old man. Ty Lee took him to be the captain, judging by the hat and the reptile parrot on his shoulder.

"I suggest you leave before something bad happens to you," Zuko growled.

"Like my ship blowing up?"

Zuko jumped at the man, but Katara stepped in front of him and held him back. "Zuko, don't."

The captain's eyes lit up at the sight of her. "You're the girl that still owes me a scroll."

"I didn't steal it from you because it wasn't yours, so I don't think I owe you anything. Of course, if you leave my ship now I may spare your lives," she said, gesturing to him and his men, who were now standing behind him.

The old captain and all his crew laughed as if it were the most hysterical joke in the world. "Now listen here, girl. The last time I saw you, you were tied to a tree and your boyfriend over there was flirting with you. For all I know, you two were in that deal together. Now I suggest you hand over your valuables and the Avatar kid and we'll be on our way, no harm done."

"How about you try to get him yourself?" Katara stepped aside and held her hands out towards Aang, where he was patiently waiting with his staff ready. "I think it's only fair to warn you though, he's almost a master waterbender."

The captain scoffed at this. "I now have a couple of waterbenders in me own crew. Recruited these boys from a small Water Tribe army on their way to the Earth Kingdom."

Katara stepped back as the two teenage boys stepped forward. Both of the boys had their hair pulled back into ponytails. The first boy was taller than the other and his hair was a bit longer. Katara recognized both of them."Rikku? Taro? What are you guys doing here?"

They looked at her with just as much shock. "Katara? What are _you_ doing here? Where's Sokka?" the taller one asked.

"H-he's down below. Why are you with these thieves? Why aren't you with my father and Bato?"

"Our ship was attacked and most of us managed to get away," explained the shorter one. "They found us and we went with them."

"What about my father, Taro? Did he make it?"

"I don't know."

"I hate to break up this little reunion, boys, but we're here on a mission," interrupted the captain. "Get the boy."

"I'm sorry, Katara," Rikku whispered as he walked past her towards Aang. Aang got in his defensive stance, ready to fight the two teens.

"I'm sorry too," she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. He turned in time to see the water flash past his face, rushing to its master. "Zuko, go get Sokka!"

Zuko turned on his heel and ran below to Sokka's room while Katara started battling her former friends with Aang. Toph was completely helpless, being on a ship and all, but she listened and did what she could. Iroh's fireblasts were wizzing through the air at the pirates and Ty Lee was bouncing around, doing what she could to disable some of them. Soon, Katara noticed Sokka and Zuko come running out on the deck, Sokka's boomerang gleaming in the sunlight. She also noticed something on Zuko's back, but quickly returned her attention to her battle.

She ran up to Taro and tried to freeze him, but he moved his arm and the water whirled around him and back to her, knocking her to the deck. She jumped up just as she heard a squeal and a splash. She ran towards where she heard the sound and jumped over the side, multiple voices calling her name as she hit the icy coldness of the ocean. Her eyes shot open and she saw a glimpse of purple and swam to it. It was Ty Lee. Katara grabbed her by the waist and held her close as the water started spinning around them, boosting them up out of the ocean and into the air, Ty Lee's clothes returning to their normal pink. She dropped Ty Lee on the deck, but stayed in her water tornado, shooting ice disks at the invaders. A few of them retreated back to their slightly damaged ship that was still attached to the ship that held the battle.

"Katara, don't do it again!" Zuko yelled, slashing his newly acquired swords through the air as he fought the captain yet again. "We can handle them!"

"I have to do what I have to do. They give me no choice. I tried to warn them."

Her tornado came crashing down onto the deck, pushing back anyone who wasn't prepared for it. Most of the pirates dropped their individual battles to attack Katara, but she picked them off easily. One by one, they fell limp as Katara's ice daggers flew about in the air. Her accuracy had reached a dangerous level from all the practicing and now half the people she knew were staring at her stunned as the last pirate fell. The few who managed to retreat were already sailing away, including their captain and the Water Tribe boys.

After a few seconds, Katara straightened from her stance and brushed the wrinkles out of her clothes like nothing happened. She noticed people were staring at her, her friends included.

"Did you want to burn them, Iroh, or should I just wash them over the side?" she casually asked.

"I'll burn them, then you can wash what's left off."

"Okay."

Katara walked to the other side of the ship and started brushing through her hair with her fingers, leaving all her friends to ask their newest additions about what had just happened.

"Did you just see what she did?"

"What did you mean, 'Don't do it again'?"

"She's done this before?"

"How did she get that powerful in that little time?"

"She just killed people and acted like it wasn't a big deal!"

"_What happened to our Katara_!" Sokka and Aang yelled at the same time.

"Look, things happened on that island that.. changed her," Zuko started. "I'm not sure if it was for better or worse, but it's really not my place to talk about it. If you want to know, ask her."

"But be careful," Iroh warned them. "Last time Zuko tried to talk to her, he ended up with a giant icicle through his leg. Did you notice his limp?"

"It's almost healed now, Uncle. It's barely a limp."

"Wow," Sokka laughed. "My sister just tore you up, huh?"

"Hey, why don't _you_ go talk to her first?" Zuko suggested, though Sokka missed the hint in his voice.

"Maybe I will," Sokka said smugly as he stormed over to his sister's side.

"I wonder what she'll do to him," Zuko thought out loud.

Iroh was carefully piling the bodies up on the deck to burn, Ty Lee watching with disgust. Toph had a hold of Aang's hand as he led her away from the pile. If you looked closely, you could see a faint blush on her cheeks. Ty Lee and Zuko noticed it. A whoosh sound came from behind them as Iroh lit the bodies on fire and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Toph gagged and she and Aang covered their noses and went below. Ty Lee just wandered over to the other side with Katara, nose wrinkled up from the smell. Zuko followed her, then Iroh. Zuko smiled as he realized the siblings were arguing.

"More secrets?"

"No! Just a bad experience that I don't want to discuss!"

"Oh, Zuko knows all about it but I can't!"

"He was there!"

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"Why can't you just drop it!"

The waves jumping up around the ship were making it rock dangerously, so Zuko and Ty Lee decided to jump in. Ty Lee put her hand over Sokka's mouth and tried to pull him away and Zuko held Katara to pin her arms to her sides again. He was whispering in her ear to calm down before they flipped again and she stopped struggling, the waves slowly started calming down. He made her sit down next to him on the deck and he held her as she cried into his shoulder. Ty Lee finally released Sokka.

"I'm sorry, Katara," he whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You too, Ty Lee. I shouldn't have said what I said earlier. I-I need to go lay down for a minute."

He turned and went back down to his room. Ty Lee started to follow, but was stopped by Iroh's hand on her shoulder. "Let him go. He just needs time, he'll come around."

She nodded and sat down next to Katara with her head in her hands. Katara was now reduced to sniffles as she unburied her face from Zuko. She used the sleeve of her dress to wipe away any leftover tears on her face and straightened up.

"I hate it when he gets like that," she said quietly. "I wish he would just back off sometimes and let me live my life."

"Can you blame him for being overprotective? He just doesn't want to lose you like you lost-"

"I know," Katara said quickly, cutting Zuko off.

"What did he say to you earlier that he had to apologize for?" Iroh asked Ty Lee, changing the subject intentionally.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was trying to convince him to accept them being together and he argued with me."

"Hey, where exactly are we going now?" Katara wondered.

"I'm not sure, but I think Aang is still wanting to go to Ba Sing Sei. It would be safe there because of all the refugees and the impenetrable wall, it would make sense to go there."

"I could use some tea. Would anyone else like some?"

Katara and Ty Lee raised their hands. Zuko just looked at him. "Uncle, all you think about is tea. Let's see if we can find some food, we haven't eaten at all this morning."

"Afternoon, my nephew."

Zuko looked up in the sky and grumbled something under his breath. Iroh just smiled at him and rushed off to the kitchen. Ty Lee and Katara just looked at each other and laughed for reasons that Zuko still can't figure out.

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Iroh was humming to himself as he walked down the hallways to the galley. He wasn't sure if Zuko noticed, but he had one of the crew bring one of the crates of tea with them on the ship. He stopped when he heard a noise coming from behind a closed door he was passing.

"I'm not ready for them to know yet."

"Why not? It's not like they're going to object."

"Someone might."

"Katara is not going to reject. Why are you so worried?"

"I-I don't know."

"We've been hiding it for too long. Please, let's just tell them."

"Can it wait at least until we get to Ba Sing Sei? I promise we'll tell them then."

"Okay, fine."

Iroh took the silence as his que to keep moving and right after, he heard a door open and close behind him and a small voice calling his name.

"Hey, Iroh!"

He turned to face Aang and the young earthbender he'd met before. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was going to make tea for the others. Would you like some?"

"I'll just come help you. We can make some lunch too!"

"That sounds like a plan," Iroh chuckled as he and Aang walked down the hall, leaving Toph. She just shrugged and felt her way to the deck to join the others.

"So.. you and the earthbender, eh?"

"You heard that?"

Iroh laughed and patted Aang on the back. "Don't worry, it's not my business to tell anyone your secrets."

"When are you going to teach me firebending?"

"We can start today if you like, but you won't be working directly with fire for a little while."

"I know, I have to concentrate and breath, feel the heat from the sun, be patient and all that." Aang twirled his hands around in the air for emphasis. "I learned a little from a master named Jeong Jeong. I swore I would never do it again after I burned Katara, but I have to if I'm going to defeat the firelord. I promise I won't be so.."

"Impatient?"

"Yeah, impatient."

"I will teach you to meditate like I did my nephew. That always seems to help everything, as well as a cup of tea!"

Aang laughed at the old man. He could get used to this one.

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"And I said 'unless it's from pirates'! Aang thought it was so funny."

The small group laughed as Katara told her story. Toph had just made it out for the last of it, but knew what she was talking about. Aang had told her about it before.

"Oh, hey Toph! Where'd you and Aang go?"

"He helped me downstairs to get away from that smell. I can't feel anything on this ship and it's harder to get around."

"Come have a seat!" Ty Lee cheerfully said, patting a spot beside her. She remembered half a second later that she was blind and stood up to help her to the spot.

"We were just sharing some stories with each other," Katara told her.

"I got bit by a turtle-duck once," Zuko said suddenly.

None of the girls could hold back their laughter. That's something Zuko never liked about being surrounded by girls, they always laughed.

"A turtle-duck? What did you do to it?" Katara asked through her laughter.

"I was showing my mother how Azula fed turtle-ducks and hit one of the babies. Its mother came out and bit my ankle."

Katara almost looked shocked. He never mentioned his mother in front of people before. "That was mean."

"I was 10! I didn't know any better!" Zuko defended himself. (**A/N:**_ I'm not sure how old he was, I just guessed!_)

The girls giggled again. "I remember the cruel games me and Azula used to play on you and Mai. We knew she liked you and it was fun to embarass both of you," Ty Lee spoke up.

"Hey, that wasn't funny. The water in that fountain was cold!"

"Mai likes you?" Katara giggled. "She's the one with the daggers, right?"

"Yeah."

"Remember that day we all fought Azula together? You know, when we were still enemies?" Toph asked almost dream-like.

"Like it was yesterday," Zuko and Katara answered together. Katara looked at him and laughed.

"Why do you keep laughing? It wasn't funny!"

That made Ty Lee and Toph join her as Katara started laughing harder. The look on his face was priceless. He felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, but he fought it back, making his expression even better to fuel the girls giggle-fit.

"Stop laughing, there's nothing funny!"

All three of the girls were rolling on the floor, doubled over in laughter now. Zuko was still trying hard to hold it all in. He stood up in the middle of the girls and tried yelling some more, hoping to make them think he was serious.

"Stop it _now_!"

Katara's eyes met his and she screamed with laughter. "Zuko, you look constipated!" That just made it worse. The other two girls got worse and Zuko's cheeks flushed red and he stormed off below deck, finally letting a smile flicker across his face as he rubbed his head.

"Crazy girls," he muttered.

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**That was great. I was laughing so hard the whole time I wrote the end that I had trouble getting it out. I know the swords just came out of nowhere, but I promise I'll explain in the next chapter. Some of you pointed out the lack of Taang, so there was a little in this one. I'm still not sure why it's a big secret myself, but I'll figure it out lol. I'm going to try to make some fluffiness for them in the next couple chapters or so. I hope you liked this chapter and you know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	13. Chapter 13

_Okay, apparently my anonymous review button was disabled, but I fixed that so if you don't have an account or are too lazy to log in, you may leave anonymous reviews! Yay! Anyway, thanks again for the reviews, they mean alot. This chapter, in my opinion, was great. I had fun writing it though Zuko may seem a little OOC, but if you've read the author's notes in my other chapters, he can't be OOC if we've never seen him in love! Well, on with the story and another surprise! (happy dance)_

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Zuko was dancing across the deck, slicing his new swords through the air. The moon was high and everyone had gone to bed a while ago, but he just couldn't sleep. Practicing, whether with fire or swords, always seemed to calm him down. He loved the swords because a lot of firebenders weren't very skilled with weapons, which gave him a slight advantage. He loved the sound of his swords in perfect harmony with each other, swooshing and cutting through the chilly night.

"What are you doing?"

He almost dropped his swords and turned to face the girl in blue behind him. He silently scolded himself for not hearing her sneaking up. "I'm practicing. I guess you couldn't sleep either?"

"Nope. Where'd you get swords?"

"Sokka found them. They were in his room when I went to get him this morning and after he ran out, I grabbed them."

"You're good with them. How long have you been practicing?"

"Many years. My cousin, Lu Ten, taught me before he died."

She stepped a bit closer and took one of them, careful not to drop it. "Could you teach _me_?"

"If you're willing to learn, I'm willing to teach. The most important thing you have to remember with these particular swords is that they are two halves of a whole and you must treat them as such. They're called broadswords, or twin dao, whichever you prefer." He placed the other sword in her hand and stood behind her, helping her with her stance. "They work together and balance each other out. Think of Yin and Yang or.."

"Fire and Water?"

"Perfect."

She blushed and adjusted her grip on the handles. "Am I doing okay?"

"Yeah. Let's see what you can do."

"Just go?"

"Yep."

Katara gulped and stepped forward, swinging the swords out in front of her. She tried to imagine them as one and swung them together as gracefully as she could. _This is actually kind of fun_, she thought. She could've sworn she heard Zuko laughing behind her, but when she turned around, he was standing straight with only a hint of a smile.

"Was that bad?"

"No, that was actually pretty good for your first time," Zuko told her. He walked up to her and took the swords. "Here, try this."

He showed her a simple move that he had once shown a young boy named Lee. She watched him with a growing fascination. When he stopped, she took the swords back and mimicked the move perfectly. He was surprised at how easily she got it.

"This is fun!" she giggled as she moved the swords around gracefully. "I feel like the Blue Spirit!"

Zuko's stomach twisted at the mention of his alias. "Y-you know of him?"

"I've read his wanted posters. They say he's the greatest swordsman ever. I've never actually seen him, but that's who you reminded me of when I saw you practicing."

"I guess that's a compliment," he said, smiling on the inside.

"Of course it is, I think he's great! I wish he could join our team, we'd be unstoppable with him."

"Yeah.."

Katara stopped and put the swords aside. She took his hand and intertwined it with hers. He squeezed her hand and smiled. "I'm going to bed now," she whispered. "Thanks for tonight."

She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned his head and caught her lips with his own. He pulled her closer to deepen the kiss, his arms wrapping around her small waist. She broke the kiss and rested her forehead on his, smiling.

"I'm _really_ tired and I need to sleep now," she whispered.

"Okay, goodnight."

He watched as she walked away, leaving him to himself again. He walked back to the rail and picked up his swords to continue practicing until he heard someone behind him. He turned expecting it to be Katara, but no such luck.

"Do you love her? I mean really, truly love her?"

"I really do, Sokka."

He could clearly make out the pained expression on Sokka's face in the moonlight. Sokka looked up at the moon, rubbing the back of his neck. Zuko could tell this was hard for him. After a couple minutes, Sokka finally turned his attention back to Zuko.

"I swear if you do anything to hurt her, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Deal."

Zuko stuck his hand out to shake on it, but Sokka looked at it with disgust. "Don't mess those swords up," he growled before walking away.

"Did you love Yue?"

Sokka spun around and faced him. "I don't ever want to hear her name come from your mouth."

"She speaks to me sometimes, you know, even though I didn't know her. Back on the island, she told me that she would help you accept mine and Katara's relationship."

"Shut up."

"It helps to talk about it. Your sister taught me that and I thank her for that. Death still isn't an easy thing to accept though. Yue seemed like a great person."

"I said shut _up_!" Sokka yelled, running at Zuko. He was caught offguard as Sokka tackled him. "You have no right to mention her!"

Zuko caught his arms before he could get in a punch. If he had strength like his sister's, it wouldn't be pleasant. He rolled over, pinning Sokka underneath him.

"Sokka, what is your problem?"

He kept struggling under Zuko's grip. "Let me go, you stupid firebender!"

"Calm down and I will!" Zuko could've sworn he saw a tear, but Sokka turned his head away before he could be sure.

"Get off," Sokka said quietly through clenched teeth.

"If you try to attack me again, I'll do this again."

Zuko slowly unpinned him from the deck and Sokka sat up, rubbing his wrists. "I'm going back to bed," he said as he stood up. He wiped the side of his face on his arm and stormed off.

Zuko sighed as he picked up the broadswords and sheathed them before heading back to his own bed. He was suddenly very tired and had no problem getting to sleep that time.

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Katara yawned as she woke up the next morning. She knew it was morning, but no sun was to be found. She pulled the blanket back and sleepily rose from her bed. Outside, it was gray and cloudy and the deck was unusually quiet. It looked like it would start raining any second.

A plate of food shot out in front of her face. "Breakfast?"

She took the plate and turned to see Zuko standing behind her. She smiled at him. "Thank you! I was beginning to wonder if anyone was even up."

"Your brother is in the galley."

"Sokka's up? He usually doesn't get up until noon. Did he say anything to you?"

"Not today. We kind of talked last night though."

"You're kidding! About what?" she asked through a mouthful of food.

"A couple different things, one that he tried to fight me over. He threatened to kill me if I ever hurt you," he laughed.

Katara gave him a strange look. "So.. now he _approves_?"

"Maybe not approve, but at least he accepts it."

"Okay, so what was the other thing?"

"Oh, that. It was nothing really. I noticed him looking up at the moon when he tried to talk to me and I mentioned Yue."

Katara's shocked expression was enough for him to know that that was a mistake. "Aang and I hardly mention her in front of him. I know it's been a little while, but it's still really hard on him. What did he do?"

"He attacked me, but I handled him fine. I didn't hurt him or anything though. What was strange to me was when he showed up. I think he was watching us when I was teaching you how to use the swords."

"That sounds like my brother," she laughed. "He always watching over me, even when I don't want him to."

Katara headed back towards the galley with her now empty plate, Zuko in close pursuit. She found Sokka and turned to Zuko, motioning for him not to follow. He just gave her a look and walked back out. She sat down beside her brother.

"Hey, Sokka."

"_What_?"

She was taken back by his tone of voice, but continued. "What is it about him that you hate so much? He's changed, can't you just give him a real chance?"

"He doesn't deserve a chance, but I'm doing you a favor by leaving you two alone about it."

"Just try to refrain from attacking him, okay?"

"Whatever," he said, standing up. She tried to grab his arm, but he left before she could. He came flying back in not two seconds later on his back, knocked over by a hyperactive Aang and Toph.

"Sokka! I'm so sorry!" Aang apologized, jumping up and helping him and Toph up.

"Yeah, sorry Sokka! Are you okay?" Toph asked.

"I'm fine," he grumbled, brushing himself off and storming out again.

Aang watched him leave, then turned back to Katara. "What's wrong with him?"

"Everything," Katara sighed.

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The candle flames grew bigger and smaller with each breath. Zuko couldn't help but feel lucky to find candles on this ship. Meditation always seemed to calm his nerves. He thought that maybe if Sokka tried meditating, he wouldn't be so uptight. He was seriously considering slipping some cactus juice in his food one day, but decided against it. Katara would have his head for sure. He smiled to himself at the thought of Sokka on cactus juice and acting all crazy, dancing around and singing about friendly mushrooms. He wasn't sure why he thought of 'friendly mushrooms' but it just seemed funny.

He heard a knock on his door and the candle flames rose a bit. A small voice came through his door. "Zuko? Are you in there?"

Sighing, he got up and opened the door to see a soaked Katara. She brushed the hair out of her face and giggled. "You know you can bend the water from yourself, right?"

"I know!" she said cheerfully as she grabbed his hand and started leading him away.

"Wait, where are you taking me?"

"Come on!" she insisted.

They came running out on the deck, where it was pouring rain. He held up his hand like it would help stop him from getting drenched. Katara was still giggling and dragging him across the deck.

"Katara, we're getting soaked!"

"Don't you love it?" she asked, her voice sounding entraced. "Dance with me!"

Zuko looked at her like she was crazy. "It's pouring out here!"

"Come on, dance with me!"

She pulled him close, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand and they danced to the rhythm of the rain as it pounded on the ship. Both had smiles across their faces as he twirled her around, both of them almost slipping a couple times, but they continued to dance. Iroh had found an umbrella below and was now on deck watching them and trying to stay dry. Zuko spun her again, but this time she caught him by surprise when she used her bending and splashed him in the face. She couldn't hold back her laughter at the sight. His hair was flattened out on his forehead and hanging in front of his eyes now, but what confused her most was the smirk on his face.

She watched as he slowly kneeled down and cupped some of the water from the deck in his hands. Her eyes widened and she took off running across the deck, but he chased her. Her squeal could be heard through the entire ship as the teens played in the water like children. Iroh had never seen his nephew so happy. Aang and Toph had joined him on deck and were watching the two run around in the rain splashing each other and sliding all over the place. Even Ty Lee and Sokka made it out to the deck to see what was going on. Ty Lee got excited, she loved the rain too. She kneeled and brought some water up to splash Sokka.

"Hey!"

She giggled and screamed as he splashed her back. He tried to do it again, but she moved and the water got Aang. Aang just looked at him, then gathered up a waterball and shot it at him. He laughed when Sokka fell in the puddle that was the deck and Toph kept asking what was going on. Ty Lee ran over to Sokka, who got another splash in, then they got into a splash fight. Meanwhile, Katara and Zuko were still running around and laughing and splashing each other, Zuko was right on Katara's tail. She tried to turn fast, but slipped and Zuko caught her and ended up going down with her. Of course, she landed on top of him, both of them breathing hard and exhausted.

"Who won?" Zuko asked, still trying to catch his breath.

"Who cares?"

Katara leaned in and kissed him hard, pressing her body against his. Her hair fell all around their faces, creating something like a curtain around them. Zuko's hands made their way around her waist and she was supporting herself with her hands on either side of his head. The rain started coming down even harder and she heard a giggle off to her side. She broke the kiss and peeked through her hair just in time to see Sokka kiss Ty Lee. _Why, oh why, is the rain so romantic?_ she wondered. She attempted to get up, but the deck was now incredibly slippery. Zuko let go of her and sat up on his elbows. She bended some water away from a spot near her feet and stood up, pulling Zuko up with her.

"You don't think this will turn into a bad storm like last time, do you?" she asked, looking out over the ocean.

"I sure hope not."

"Let's go below and dry off. Maybe get some hot tea as well."

"Sure."

They walked to where Iroh was standing with the others. He smiled at them and nodded as if he already knew what they were going to ask. "Come, young ones. Let's go have some nice warm ginseng tea."

He nudged Toph along, who was standing under the umbrella with him. Aang was bending the water away and the others didn't care for it. They were already soaked, but happy. Katara glanced at her brother who, surprisingly, was looking at her and smiling. She smiled back and he turned his attention back to Ty Lee. Katara stopped by the wash room and grabbed a few white fluffy towels and met up with everyone for tea, handing out the towels to the soaked ones.

Iroh had already started the tea and they were now sitting around talking. Everyone's faces were bright with laughter and that made Katara feel better about everything that was happening. She drew the water from her hair and clothes and led it to a nearby sink, then towel-dried the rest of herself off.

"So what are we doing when we get to Ba Sing Sei?" Iroh asked.

"Well, I thought maybe we could stay there until I get all the elements down, then head to the Fire Nation," Aang said. "Since we'll be staying in the Earth Kingdom capitol for a while, we can actually relax and not have to worry about anyone that's chasing us. I can just give the descriptions to the king and his guards will keep an eye out. We'll be safe there until it's time."

"I can't wait to see it, I'm getting so excited just thinking about it," Katara told them.

"It's a great, great city," Iroh said as he poured their tea.

"I just can't wait to be on land again so I can see," Toph grumbled.

"Part of me doesn't want to get back to land," Ty Lee sighed. "Azula is probably still there waiting for you guys to get me back."

Sokka looked at her sadly. "She won't take you back, I won't let her."

"If I don't go with her, I'll be a traitor to my friends, my country, _and_ she'll try to kill me."

"Then you'll be like my nephew and I," Iroh laughed. "We've survived this long. Plus, she's severely outnumbered now."

"Yeah, last time it was 3 on 3."

"Plus, along with benders we have warriors, and Zuko is both!" Katara exclaimed, referring to his experience with the twin dao. Zuko shot her a glare, but she didn't catch the meaning for it.

"Is that so?" Iroh stroked his beard and looked to his nephew. Katara now knew why she got the glare. "They weren't really antiques, were they Zuko? You lied to Zhao to cover something up, but one has to wonder what exactly?"

"It's nothing, Uncle. He was going to try to pin me for being the Blue Spirit," Zuko lied. He looked to Aang and Aang nodded ever so slightly to him, letting him know that he wouldn't tell. "He was trying anything to get me out of the picture, even trying to kill me. He's the one that hired the pirates to blow my ship up while I was on it."

"Speaking of pirates, how do you know those guys that were with them?" Aang asked Katara.

"Rikku and Taro? Sokka and I grew up with them in the South Pole. They were just barely old enough to leave when our father and the other men left to fight in the war."

"They were with the pirates?" Sokka yelled. "I didn't see them there, are you sure it was them?"

"Positive. They remembered me too, Sokka, and asked about you. It was them, trust me."

"I used to look up to them."

"Maybe they'll come to their senses and leave," Ty Lee suggested.

Katara sipped at her tea, almost immediately feeling better. Everyone else quieted down and drank their tea before it got cold, not that it would matter with firebenders aboard. When she finished her tea, she stood up and interrupted the silence.

"I'm going to curl up under my blankets for the rest of the day. If you need me, I'm in my room."

"Are you okay?" Ty Lee asked.

"I'm fine, really! I just want to curl up under the warm blankets and listen to the rain," she replied with a big smile to prove she was fine.

"Okay!"

Katara turned and skipped down the hall to her room. The truth was, she really was happy. She felt like she was floating. For some reason, the rain today just put her in a good mood. She ran in her room and jumped onto the small bed, scurrying under her blanket. She giggled to herself for some unknown reason and before she knew it, she was drifting off to sleep, dreaming of her new family.

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"Do you hear something?"

"There's an island over there."

"Let's check it out."

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**More random blather from my baby girl! Is blather a word? It is now! roflmfao**

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b a d egnkynkx ...t m, l.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmtmur

z

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**She just decided she wanted to play with the keyboard again lol. Anyway, I've been told that I've been pretty in-character with all my characters and I tried to keep it that way, but was this too OOC? It was cute anyway! Hahaha! There's a reason behind Katara learning how to use the swords, but I probably won't go into that until they get to Ba Sing Sei. I'll keep her practicing though! Sorry, it's after 1 AM and I'm in sleepy-hyper mode. I need to go to bed.. You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**

**Oh, I forgot my dun dun duuunnn at the end of that sort-of cliffhanger. Dun dun duuunnn! Mwahaha! Goodnight!**


	14. Chapter 14

_I want to say thanks to anonymous reviewer **Turtle** for being review number 200! Yay! Anyway, sorry about the longer than usual update, but I had a massive attack of writer's block and it killed me. I'm better though! I wanted to say something else too, but I forgot what.. that's my memory for you lol! Here's your next chapter!_

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It was daytime, he knew it, but hunger and thirst had clouded his vision. Maybe it was just the fog from the rain. Either way, he was imagining things. He thought he heard voices over the sound of the waves. He thought he saw a ship out on the ocean. But he didn't imagine the people that broke him free of his earth prison. They introduced themselves, but he didn't pay attention. He was too busy concentrating on holding himself up and not falling. The men helped him to the ship he thought he imagined and they gave him food and a blanket as he told them what happened.

After he ate, he could see better and realized a little too late that these people that helped him were pirates. He'd never known pirates to be accomodating, but these days nothing was impossible. The captain explained the reason behind this, going into detail with the waterbender girl's attack and destruction of more than half his crew. He needed to rebuild. He needed more men. He needed him. Kiatoh.

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"Katara.."

Katara rolled over and mumbled something incomprehensible in her sleep. Zuko rolled his eyes and shook her shoulder a little but to no avail.

"Katara, wake up."

She growled and pulled a pillow over her head. Zuko just took the pillow from her and started tickling her to wake her up. She jumped up and grabbed his hands, but he didn't stop.

"Okay, I'm up! What do you want?"

He removed his hands and stood up. "We're landing soon."

"What?" she yelled as she jumped up out of the bed, trying desperately not to get tangled up in her blanket and failing miserably. She fell forward out of the bed and Zuko just barely caught her. He set her gently on the floor so she could untangle her legs, then they went to the deck together, Katara trying to brush her fingers through her hair a little.

"Katara! It's about time you got up!" her brother called across the deck.

"How did I sleep so long?" she asked as she looked at the darkening sky. "I wasn't even that tired."

"Get your stuff together, we'll be docking in a couple minutes."

"What stuff?"

"Oh, right. Well then, just prepare yourself."

Katara laughed as Sokka ran around getting stuff ready to go, slipping here and there. The deck was still slick from the rain earlier and the constant drizzle after the downpour eased up. Clouds still covered the evening sky, making it seem later than it really was. There was a light fog on the water, but she could barely make out the docks ahead of them.

"Feeling okay?"

She turned to see Zuko and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. It'll be good to get back to civilization again, although I'm not too excited to get back to where your sister can get us."

"Yeah, I'm not exactly looking forward to that either. It's okay though, I'm sure you can handle her."

"Not if we're in the middle of the woods. Maybe by the ocean, but in the woods I have a limited supply of water."

"We'll be fine, we have more than enough people to overpower her. I'll even talk to the owner of this ship about the swords Sokka found. We're more than prepared."

"If you say so," she sighed.

"I know so."

Soon, everyone was making their way off the ship. Katara giggled as she watched Aang run and jump onto Appa's head, hugging him. Appa grunted at him.

"Thanks a lot for watching him!"

"Only for the Avatar," an old man said, smiling at the young boy. "Do you need a place to stay or will you be heading out tonight?"

Aang looked back to his group of friends, then turned back to the man. "I think we'll stay here tonight. It'll be our last chance to stay somewhere nice before we get to Ba Sing Sei."

Zuko approached the man, who shrunk back slightly not knowing what to expect from the fierce looking boy. "Who is the owner of that ship?"

"I am. Is there something wrong?"

"No, I was just wondering about the twin swords we found below."

"Oh, those old things? They were a gift, but I have no use for them. You may have them if you like, but only if I know they'll be of assistance to the Avatar."

"They will, sir. Thank you." Zuko bowed his head to the man before running back to the ship to fetch his newly acquired treasures. Katara giggled at him as he ran past her.

The old man shook his head and smiled, then turned his attention back to the group in front of him. "Come, I'll take you to a place you can stay for the night. Our inn doesn't get many visitors, so there are more than enough rooms."

"Thank you so much for you generosity, sir," Katara said politely.

"It's not a problem, young lady."

He held his hand out towards the village and the group started that way, Zuko trying to catch up with his new swords strapped to his back now. The town was mostly empty and filled with the wonderful smell of family dinners. The inn itself wasn't much on the outside, but it was nicer than anyone expected on the inside. It had traces of green and gold paint along the front desk and intricate designs ran along the walls. It looked and smelled like it had been recently painted, along with the smells of food wafting about. There was quite a bit of commotion as well for a place that didn't get many visitors.

"Good evening, young travelers! You too, Ji," said an older woman that was standing behind the counter. She was thin and her dark brown hair was highlighted with grey and pulled neatly into a bun. The smile on her face was big enough to rival Aang's.

The man, Ji, nodded and walked up to her. He whispered, "This is the Avatar and his friends. They need a place to stay tonight before they head out in the morning."

"Oh, absolutely!" the woman squealed. "I have five open rooms, will that be okay?"

"You usually have more than that. Oh, is it because of the festival?"

"Yes. Tell them they're welcome to join the feast in the dining hall once they're settled in."

He nodded and she handed him the keys. Ji turned back to the group of people, who were whispering among themselves. He held the keys up and jangled them, getting the attention of most of the group. "There are only five rooms open due to the festival coming up tomorrow. When you get settled, the dining hall is right through there," he pointed through a doorway just down the hall. "Aki has invited you all to join the feast to mark the start of our town's Festival of Summer."

Aang winced at the sound of summer, just knowing it was already beginning made him uneasy. That meant he had around three months to master the elements and defeat the firelord. His thoughts were interrupted by an arguing Sokka.

"But there are _seven_ of us!"

"Some of us will have to share rooms, Sokka," Katara told him, daring a glance at Zuko.

Sokka caught that and screamed, "Oh no, you are **NOT** sharing a room with a-" He was cut off when Ty Lee's hand flew over his mouth. The look of surprise on his face was priceless, then he realized what he was about to say could've gotten their new.. _allies_ arrested. He refused to use the word 'friend' when referring to them. They could never be friends.

Katara sighed and turned to Zuko. "You can share a room with your uncle. I'll be fine."

"No, please don't make me share a room with him!" Zuko pleaded. "I can't sleep with his loud, annoying snoring!"

"Then maybe Sokka should share with him," she laughed. "They can see who can out-snore each other."

"I'll let you kids fight it out," Ji said as he left them in the lobby.

After a few minutes of rather loud arguing, they came up with a sleeping arrangement. Iroh and Aang would share a room, Toph and Katara would share, Sokka and Zuko would share, then Ty Lee would be alone. They gave back the last key so as not to take up more rooms than they needed. Toph could feel vibrations a little bit, but not as much as on earth since they were on the second level, so Katara helped her around some.

"So, how are you and Prince Hothead?" she asked Katara.

"Depends, how are you and Twinkle Toes?" Katara giggled.

"What makes you think me and Twinkle Toes have anything?" she shot.

"Call it a girl's intuition. You want to tell me about it?"

"It's supposed to be a secret," Toph sighed. "I don't know why, but he doesn't want it to get out until we get to Ba Sing Sei."

"Maybe he's just worried that if people know you're together, they'll kidnap you instead of me to get to him and he's just trying to keep you safe."

"Are you trying to say I'm too weak to take care of myself!"

"No, I know you can take care of yourself. You're a very strong bender, Toph, but they could put you in places where you can't bend or see. It's different with me because I can see if I need to fight without my bending. Ask Zuko, he personally knows."

Toph sprawled across her bed and hugged the pillow under her head. "Hey, Katara? Do you mind bringing some food up for me? I kind of.. don't feel like going down there."

Katara looked at her friend curiously, then responded, "Sure, will you be okay up here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just have a headache."

"Okay, I'll be back in a little bit," she said as she stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Meanwhile...

"I'm just here to watch over you and make sure you don't try any funny stuff."

"What funny stuff am I going to try, _peasant_?"

"Oh, I don't know.. **kill us all in our sleep**!"

Zuko unstrapped the swords from his back and laid them down beside his bed. "You're never going to trust me, are you?"

"Not if my life depended on it."

"So you're saying you would rather die than trust me?"

"I die either way, right?"

"Look, Katara wants us to get along and that's what I'm trying to do-"

"No, you're here to kill us!"

"Will you shut up for five minutes!" Zuko yelled, making the Water Tribe boy close his mouth and sit. "Katara wants us to get along. I am trying to get along with you for her sake, but you're making it difficult with-"

"But-"

"No! I am _not_ here to kill you all.. and you're five minutes aren't up yet. You're about as stubborn as I am and I understand where you're coming from, but there are times to fight and there are times to accept help when it's offered."

"Something else Katara taught you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Can't we just try to get along for her?"

Sokka crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, nodding. "Let's go eat now."

"See? I can agree with you there. Let's go."

They started out the door and Sokka asked, "So.. you're good with those swords?"

"You might say that," Zuko replied with a hint of a smile. They found Katara just coming out into the hall and Ty Lee appeared behind them. When they all went downstairs, Iroh and Aang had already made their way to the feast. They made their way through the somewhat large crowd and found seats around the two. They talked quietly among themselves until the old woman, who Ji had called Aki, made her way to the front of the rather large room.

"Good evening, everyone! We have all gathered here tonight to start off the celebration the beginning of summer with a grand feast. Tomorrow we'll start the fun and games and that evening we'll set off the fireworks to end the celebration! But tonight, we have a most special guest among us, well, I should say group. Tonight, we have with us Avatar Aang and his traveling companions and teachers!" She held out her hand towards the young Avatar and he shyly stood up to the sound of applause.

Random shouts emerged from the applause like _"Kill the firelord!"_ and _"Fire Nation stinks!"_ and that made Zuko tense up. Katara felt it and squeezed his hand reassuringly. He squeezed back, but still kept on his toes.

Aang sat back down and Aki stated loudly, "Now let's eat!"

Sokka couldn't have said it better himself as he dug into just about everything around him and shoved it into his mouth. Katara and Ty Lee watched him in disgust before carefully preparing their own plates, Katara remembering to fix an extra one for Toph. Aang was fixing his plate and Iroh made his own. Zuko kept his eyes down and pretending to be interested in the white table cloth with the gold and green trim.

"Hey," Katara whispered, nudging him a bit. "You need to eat. This will probably be the last decent meal we'll have until Ba Sing Sei."

"Why are you making two plates?" he asked curiously.

"Toph said she had a headache and asked me to bring some food to her."

"Is she okay?" Aang butted in.

"She's fine, Aang. She just needs to rest."

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Toph snuck out past the crowd in the inn and right out the door. She felt the earth under her feet and felt relieved. She inhaled the smells around her and started down the empty streets. Her sightless eyes looked around, listening for any suspicious sounds. All she heard was the sound of the ocean lapping against the beach and the hulls of the few docked ships.

"I wish I could see the stars and the moon, if only for one night," she whispered, turning her gaze up to the sky. "I wish I could put pictures to the things I feel, faces to the voices I hear." She stopped and closed her eyes, feeling someone nearby. "Who's there?" The thing she felt hopped a little before letting out a 'caw' and flying off. "Stupid birds," she whispered angrily. Her eyes shot open and she screamed and closed them again quickly. She slowly opened them again and let out a single tear. She looked up at the stars and the full moon, closing her eyes again and running back to the inn.

Her feet took her directly back to the inn and she felt her way to the dining hall where she felt the most vibrations from. Aang's laughter was heard over everyone and she smiled, but kept her eyes closed. He noticed her and got worried and stood up to see what was wrong.

"Toph, are you okay?"

Katara had joined him, slowly followed by Iroh. Sokka was still stuffing his face and Ty Lee was trying to scold him and keep her own dinner down. Zuko was slowly eating the food Katara had gotten for him and made him eat.

"Aang?" she said weakly, trying not to cry.

"It's me, Toph. What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. In fact, everything is right." She opened her eyes and they stepped back in surprise. Replacing the light green eyes they were so accustomed to were two startling dark green eyes. "_I can see_," she whispered.

Katara gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. All of them were too shocked for words. Finally, Aang got something out. "B-but _how_?"

"I wished it and it just came true." She put her hands on his face as she had done many times before, taking in every inch of it. She looked at Katara and smiled, knowing instantly who she was. Even Iroh, who she hadn't even been around that much, was recognizable. "Where are the others? I want to see them before I lose it again."

"Why would you lose it?" asked Katara.

"I'm not sure I will but when I wished for it, I said 'if only for one night'."

Katara looked at Aang and whispered, "Yue?"

"I think so."

"Don't tell Sokka."

"I'll get the others," Iroh groaned as he stood up straight. "We may not have long and you must get them in your mind." He headed back for the table the other three were at.

Toph hugged Katara and Aang around the necks. "Now that I have this, I don't want to give it up. It's amazing to be able to see things, all the lights and colors and.. faces. If I have this for just this one night, I won't even be able to see the sun."

Just then, Iroh came back with the others and he nudged them out into the lobby. They were drawing a bit of attention with all of them standing in the doorway to the dining hall.

She looked at all of them and recognized them somehow. Her smile grew and another tear escaped. "This is.. almost too much to take in. Sokka, Zuko, Ty Lee," she said their names, pointing to them in turn. They were surprised she knew them, never having seen them before.

"So, you really can see?" Sokka asked stupidly. Her dark green eyes glanced to him and she nodded, the smile never leaving her face.

"I want to watch you guys bending, since I'll never get to see it again. I want to watch your movements and elements with my eyes instead of my feet. It sounds beautiful."

Katara gave a mischevious smile. "Zuko, let's go spar on the beach."

He lifted an eyebrow at her, obviously confused, then remembered the island. "Yeah, let's go. We have to make sure no one sees us though."

"Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Sokka asked, running after them as everyone took off out the door. They all ran down the street and across the sand of the beach as Zuko and Katara got into their stances.

She splashed him with the cold water from the ocean and he steam dried himself. He shot two fireballs at her and she jumped to the ground and rolled away, bringing her arms around to swallow him in a wave. He recovered quickly and circled them in flames. She doused the flames behind her and jumped into the water. He ran to the edge, the waves licking at his ankles, and shot more at her. Her head popped out of the water and she giggled, catching him on the arm with a water whip.

Aang jumped in and sent a ripple through the earth, making Zuko stumble a little. Zuko looked at Aang and smirked, sending fireballs his way. Aang stopped them with a little airbending and sent a blast of air at Zuko. He dodged only to get hit with more water.

"Are you guys ganging up on me now?"

Katara giggled and sent a whip at an unsuspecting Aang. It grabbed his ankle and he fell to the sand. He quickly airbended himself back up and faced the girl that was now coming out of the water.

"Okay guys, stop before you kill each other," Sokka said. "I think she gets the point."

Toph was sitting on the sand, letting it shift through her fingers to rejoin its kind, dancing with the wind. She smiled at it, then got up and brushed herself off. "Let's go back. As much fun as this was and as much as I want to see more, I don't think my poor little eyelids can stay open for much longer."

The three teens who had sparred were just getting their breathing back to normal as they trotted along behind everyone on the way back to the inn. Toph took in every detail of everything she saw, down to the green and gold paint along the inn's walls. She walked into her room and looked around at the deep green curtains and green blankets on the beds. Walking to her bed, she sprawled across it once more and hugged her pillow and soon drifted off to sleep.

"Toph.."

"Hmm.."

"Toph, I brought you your food. Do you still want it?"

"I'll eat it in a minute, I'm still tired. Who knew sight could take so much out of you?"

"But you've always had sight, with your feet anyway."

Toph's eyes shot open and she jumped up, but all was black again. "No.." she whispered. "_No! I had it! It was right there, I had it, I saw everything!_"

Katara looked at her friend worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I saw everything! I saw you and Aang, Sokka, Iroh, _everyone_! I got to watch you guys bending and.." she trailed off. "I got to see the stars and the moon. The full moon. You and Aang said something about Yue, I remember that."

"Maybe she left you a dream that showed you kind of what life would be like if you could see."

Toph folded her legs up to her chest and sat on her bed thinking.

_It was just a dream.._

_It was just a dream.._

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**OMG! I didn't think I would be so mean as to make that a dream, but I did and now I feel bad! I liked this chapter (despite how mean I was to Toph). It took long enough to come out, but at least it came out okay.. and I managed to get Kiatoh back in the picture.. MWAHAHAHA! o.0 hehe Evilness! I promise I'll update soon! I still can't think of what I was going to say up there.. Agni damn my memory to hell! Well, you know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	15. Chapter 15

_I figured since you guys were so patient with the last semi-long wait, I'd go ahead and give you the next chapter. This one was so easy to write somehow and I'm warning you now, most of it is fighting, but it's awesome! Oh, I remembered what I was going to say in the A/N of my last chapter (lmao). I was going to advertise the Avatar fansite that _**katara-water25 **_and I have been working on. It's www. academyofbending .com__ but it's still under construction. You can check it out though! Oh, and I wanted you all to know how my stories are affecting people. One of my best online friends (_**Zutara in limbo**_) was a diehard Kataang fan when I found her. Now, because of my stories, she is all about Zutara. Yay! Anyhow, this is the kickass chapter you've all been waiting for!_

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The next day, most of the gang woke up at sunrise to the sounds of the festival on the streets. Zuko could hear the children running around and laughing in the streets below his window. He just laid there for a few minutes after he woke up, listening to the sounds and smelling the foods wafting up through his open window from the vendors' booths. He sat up on his bed finally and looked around.

Sokka, of course, was the only one still sleeping.. and snoring loudly. Zuko rolled his eyes and left the room with his swords on his back. He had made it known to the others that he wasn't going anywhere without those swords, especially in towns in case there was trouble. He knew his firebending could get him arrested.

"Zuko, wait up!"

He turned around to see Katara just coming from her room. She had on a dark green robe and pants that she had bought the night before and her hair was pulled back for the first time since before the island. Zuko felt his stomach doing cartwheels as she neared him, smiling.

"Come on, let's go play some games!" she said excitedly, grabbing his hand and dragging him downstairs.

"Wait, what about breakfast?"

She laughed and pulled him into the dining hall, grabbing a couple biscuits and running back out. "Now _come on_!"

They ran outside to see all the decorations covering the streets and buildings. There were all kinds of bright colored streamers everywhere and booths all along the streets. A few of the games were going on already down near the docks, but there were a few up near where they were. The smell of festival foods were almost enough to suffocate one, but they smelled so good that Katara wanted to throw their biscuits aside. Instead, she ate hers quickly before she really did throw it away. Zuko ate his a little slower, looking around at everything.

"Wow, I guess they love summer," Zuko said calmly.

"Or they just love _this_ summer. This is the one that determines the fate of the world, remember?"

"Yes, but don't you think they're overdoing it a bit?"

"Maybe they're just trying to make the best of it."

"Our town tries to make the best of everything since the war," Aki said, coming up behind them. "We try to live life to its fullest for there's always the chance that we may be overtaken any day. So tell me, why do you need those swords, _Prince Zuko_?"

Zuko and Katara both looked at her in complete shock and surprise, both of their hearts pounding and each scolding themselves for their lack of words.

"Don't be alarmed, young ones. I'm not going to harm you for I know you are helping the Avatar. I'm sure you're teaching him firebending and, judging by your blue eyes, you're his waterbending teacher?"

Katara nodded, still a bit nervous. She looked back to Zuko for help and he understood, though he didn't like discussing it much, especially with strangers in public.

"The swords are for when I'm out in public and I can't use my bending," Zuko sighed. He hated when people knew who he was, it was risky. "You never know when trouble will happen."

"You are an honorable person for what you're doing, despite what people may say," she smiled, calming the two teens some. "You are going against your own nation to help save the world instead of destroy it. I have to admit that you're not the same person I've heard about. I expected you to come through here blasting everything down, but you're quite the opposite of what I thought you would be."

"I've changed a lot since my banishment three years ago, even more in the last few weeks with her," he said, nudging Katara. "I've seen the effects this war has had on the people on the recieving end and I know it needs to stop. That's why I'm with Avatar Aang, helping him. Please, let no one else know of me here. I don't know these people nor what they would do if they found out. While we're here, my name is Li."

"Of course," Aki said, bowing her head. "Tis not my place to speak of you. No one will know."

"Thank you."

"Now let's go play some games! Maybe you can win me something!" Katara squealed excitedly. Aki laughed at them as Katara pulled Zuko along down the street. When they got far enough away, Katara said, "That woman is very nice. I like her."

"Almost _too_ nice, don't you think?"

"What are you talking about? There's no such thing as 'too nice' in my opinion."

"Well, there is in mine. I think it's a cover. She's suspicious, she knows something."

"Are you always so paranoid?"

"Are you always so carefree?"

Katara giggled and spun around like a child. "I can be most of the time."

Zuko gave her a nervous smile, but he still didn't trust this place. Something wasn't right. He decided it was best that he was with her so he can protect her should anything happen.

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Aang, Toph, and Iroh were having breakfast in the dining hall. Toph was telling them about her 'real' dream and they were both listening intently.

"It just seemed so _real_, and I saw all of you! I mean, since I've never seen colors, I can't identify any, but I know that Iroh's beard was a light color and Katara's hair is dark. I had to keep brushing my hair out of my eyes so I could see."

"Well, last night _was_ a full moon-"

"That's what Katara said. She said Yue could've sent me that, but it didn't make sense because she didn't know me and I didn't know her."

"But she's the moon, everyone knows her now," Iroh said.

"Did you know her? Before she became the moon, I mean."

"Not very long, but yes. I believe I'm the reason she realized she could give her life to the moon. She was very beautiful. I've never seen hair so white, not even on me," he chuckled. "And her eyes were almost as light."

Toph sighed, "I got to see you guys bending. It was great. You, Zuko, and Katara," she pointed to Aang, "you were all sparring on the beach and it was just great to see."

"That's good."

"Excuse me for ruining this conversation, but when are we leaving today?" Iroh asked.

"I'm not sure. Katara and Zuko ran off early this morning to the festivities and Sokka's still asleep. Ty Lee might be too, I haven't seen her this morning."

"Well, can we enjoy this for just a little bit before we're restricted to woods and rivers and an occasional tiny town until we get to Ba Sing Sei? _Please_?" Toph pleaded.

"Okay," Aang laughed. "We can stay for a little bit, but we have to leave soon."

"That we should. As nice as the people here are, there's something about this place I don't trust," Iroh told them. "I'll feel better the sooner we're away from here."

"Wow, is Zuko this paranoid?"

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"Katara, I really think we should be leaving now. I feel like we're being watched."

"Of course we are, we're not from here. This town probably doesn't get many outsiders."

"Come on, you _know_ what I'm talking about. I'm starting to feel really uncomfortable around these people. Maybe we should go check on the others, just to make sure they're okay."

"Zuko, everyone's fine! It's a beautiful day and everyone is enjoying it, why can't you?"

"Because something is wrong here. I can tell these people are expecting something to happen because of the way their eyes keep shifting around. They're all nervous! Please, can we just go check on everyone else?"

"Ugh, fine, but we're coming right back if nothing's wrong."

"Okay, let's go," Zuko said hurriedly, grabbing her hand. As soon as they turned around to go back, they stopped dead in their tracks.

"Where are you running off to in such a hurry?" asked a familiar voice from behind them.

"No.."

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Sokka sat up in his bed, yawning and stretching. He looked out the window and noticed the sun was up a bit, then noticed that Zuko was already gone, with his swords of course. He cursed himself for letting him out of his sight. He got up, stumbling over himself trying to get his shoes on, and ran out the door and into the hall.

"Where do you think you're going?"

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"I'm not being paranoid, I'm just overly cautious. Something here isn't right. These people know something that we don't and if we don't leave soon, we're going to find out the hard way."

"Calm down, Iroh," Aang said. "This town is great! There's a festival outside, games and people and good food everywhere, there's nothing here to worry about!"

"That's where you're wrong, Avatar."

They turned around towards the voice and saw a girl dressed in dark robes with long black hair and black fingernails. She kept a straight face as they turned around to her, all with similar shocked looks.

"And to what do we owe this honor, Mai?" Iroh asked sarcastically.

"Shut your mouth, old man. And don't think of trying to fight," she said quickly, pointing to Aang, who was now standing and reaching for his staff. "You'll want to think of your friends' safety first."

"Where's Azula? What've you done with my friends!" Aang yelled, his voice echoing through the room.

"We haven't done anything with them yet, but then again, we can. That all depends on you, Avatar."

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Zuko unsheathed his swords and Katara uncorked her waterskin as Azula stepped closer.

"Oh, come now brother. Are you really going to use those barbaric things?"

"I'll take any advantage I can get."

"Oh, that's right. Because you could never beat me as a firebender. You're so pathetic and weak, Zuzu. That's why father never loved you. And now look at you! You're helping the Avatar _and_ falling for a peasant! You truly are a disgrace to our father and our nation."

"I bet this peasant could beat _you_!" Katara shouted.

"Now you're going to fight his battles for him?" Azula giggled evilly. "It's worse than I thought. Why don't you just admit defeat and stop wasting my time. You could never defeat me, you worthless waterbender."

Katara stepped forward angrily, but Zuko stopped her. "This is my battle. Go find the others and make sure they're okay. I'll tell you 'I told you so' later."

"But Zuko-"

"Katara, go!"

She turned and started back to the inn, but after a couple steps she stopped. She turned around and snapped Azula with a water whip. "That was a warning if you ever want to fight _me_ instead." Then she turned and headed back to the inn.

"She's got a fighting spirit, I'll give her that," Azula said, rubbing the spot Katara hit her. When she pulled her hand away, it was covered in blood. "Too bad I'll have to kill her for that later."

"You won't win, trust me. I bet she's killed more people in the last two weeks than you've killed in your life. She's been more places and accomplished more in her life than you ever will. She's better than you in every way possible, not to mention she's a year younger than you."

"Aw, you're obsessed with this girl. How about you stop going on about her and get ready to lose to me."

"I won't lose, Azula."

"We'll see," she growled.

She shot blue flames at him. He put his swords up and they hit the swords, then he redirected them down to the ground. He swept his swords out towards Azula, flames shooting from them. She dodged them easily and jump-kicked more flames at him. His shoulder got caught by them, but he didn't pay attention to the pain. Katara could always fix it later. He ran at her, swords crossed in front of him, and sliced out at her. He sliced her unprotected forearm, the one whose armguard Aang had broken a while back.

"You're putting up a decent fight, Zuzu. Practice much?"

"Everyday."

She jumped at him, but he side-stepped her and knocked her to the ground with an 'oomph!'. She flipped over and attempted to kick his feet from under him, but he jumped and landed over the top of her with his swords across her throat.

He smirked and said, "I guess my little sister isn't as good as she thinks. I win."

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"Ty Lee, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Sokka. Azula and Mai found me last night in my room, I have to go with them. I really am sorry, but they're taking care of your other friends as we speak. They wanted me to take care of you."

"So what're you going to do?"

"Take you downstairs with Mai and the others. I don't want to fight you, Sokka. Just cooperate, I promise it'll be okay. I just don't want to see you hurt."

Sokka looked at her with hurt in his big blue eyes and she had to turn away. "It won't be okay. If Azula's behind this, nothing will be okay. If you don't want to see me hurt, let me go."

"I can't do that, Sokka. They know I'm better than that. They'll think I'm turning on them and kill me. I'm sorry."

"I am too."

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"Mai, I know you like Zuko. If you really do like him, you'll let us go help him before Azula kills him."

"You aren't going anywhere so just be quiet."

"Aang, what's going on?" Toph asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

"You remember those three girls that were chasing us?"

"Yeah."

"They caught up to us again."

Toph put her hands up to her sightless eyes and pretended to cry. She fell to the floor on her hands and knees. "This is so unfair!" she shouted. Mai watched her unsympathetically as she 'wept'. Toph punched the floor in fake frustration and earth shot up through the wooden floor of the dining hall under Mai. She was sent up in the air, but she jumped off the chunk of earth before it hit the ceiling. Her darts were sent down at Toph, but she pulled up and earth sheild, then sent that at Mai as well.

_Great, I'm against air, earth, and fire,_ she thought. _Where's that stupid waterbender now?_

Just then, Sokka came running in, throwing his boomerang and slicing the darts that Mai had shot again. "Guys, get out of here!"

"Sokka, where've you been? Where's Ty Lee?"

"Just go!"

Iroh shot a fireball at Mai, distracting her so Aang and Toph could get away. Sokka ran in to help Iroh, his machete and boomerang ready. Mai shot her darts, but the ones that Iroh didn't burn to a crisp, Sokka had no problem stopping with his own weapons. She pulled out a red blade and two more pieces popped out of the sides. Sokka recognized it as the piece she almost used at Omashu before he knocked it away with his boomerang. She threw it at Sokka's face, but he moved his head and caught it by its handle, surprising himself and Mai. He threw it back and it pinned Mai to the wall, so he and Iroh ran out while she tried to get it out.

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Zuko's swords were crossed over her throat, but Azula brought her feet up and kicked him in the groin and flipped him over her head, landing on the ground behind her. He struggled to get his breath back as she started moving her arms, blue sparks jumping off the tips of her fingers. Just as she was about to release the energy, she was knocked back by a wave of water.

"Zuko, get up!"

He slowly made it back to his feet just in time to see his sister running after Katara. Zuko shot a really big fireball at Azula's feet and hit, making her trip. She cursed herself for not paying attention and turned back to her brother. She made a mental note to get the water wench later.

"You're not finished with me yet, Azula."

"You're right. You're not dead yet."

Azula made the motions for lightening and Zuko smirked. He knew exactly how to handle this. Her two fingers shot out the lightening right at him and he took it in him, redirecting it back to her and hitting her directly in her armored chest. She fell back onto the ground unconcious with a black scorch mark on her chestplate. He ran down the street and back towards the inn where he saw Sokka and Iroh emerging.

"Zuko, what's happening?"

"Azula's knocked out, let's get out of here before she wakes up!"

"Where's Katara?"

"I don't know!"

He made it up to them, almost out of breath. He pointed down the street the way he saw Katara running a couple minutes ago when Azula chased her. Sokka and Iroh took the hint and started running that way and soon came across Katara, Aang, and Toph.

"Where's Ty Lee?" Katara called to Sokka.

"While we were together, she taught me a few things. Let's just say I had to use one of her lessons on her."

"She was part of this?"

"Azula found her last night, she would've been killed if she didn't do anything."

"Guys, come on, let's go!" Aang yelled.

Appa was waiting for them up ahead in the town stables and Zuko noticed a couple ostrich-horses as well. While Aang was getting Appa, he grabbed Katara and jumped up on the back of one. He grabbed another one and led it out of the stables and Sokka took the hint and got on.

"You guys take Appa out, we'll ride!" Sokka yelled up at Aang, who was on Appa's head already, trying to steer him out. "Just make sure you can see us so we can somewhat stay together! We'll stay on the path out of here!"

Without waiting for a reply, he and Zuko kicked the ostrich-horses in motion and they were headed down the path, Katara holding onto Zuko's waist trying not to fall off. Within a minute, they saw Appa above their heads and sighed. It wasn't even noon yet and it had been a long day. Katara noticed the burn on Zuko's shoulder and pulled out her water to heal it. He looked back to her, smiled, and said one thing:

"I told you so."

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**Holy crap, that was an awesome chapter! Another startling thing, I checked my stats on this story today and I have 50 people on alert and 40 have it marked as a favorite! Plus, I have almost 10,000 hits! _(happy dance)_ I love this story.. and apparently a lot of others do to! hehe Go check out the fansite mentioned above! You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	16. Chapter 16

_Okay, thanks again for all the reviews! I get all excited when I get online and see I have mail lol. Anywho, this, I guess, is just a basic filler chapter. I didn't like it all that well and don't expect many reviews from it, but there it is. There are a couple important things that happen in this chapter, but they last all of 2 seconds. Well, here comes the boring filler chapter.._

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**--Two uneventful days later--**

"Ow, Katara get off!"

"Take it back!"

"Okay, okay, I take it back! I'm sorry, now get off!"

Katara pushed herself off of her brother, leaving him with a bruised cheek and a cut lip. She stalked back to the fire and sat between Zuko and Iroh, cursing under her breath. A hurt Sokka got up slowly and sat across from Katara and avoided her eyes. He knew better than to make sexist remarks like that, but sometimes he said them before he thought about it.

"Sew your own pants!" she yelled at him, throwing the blue ripped pants in his face.

"Katara, please! I don't know how!"

"Well, I'd say you either _learn_ to sew or learn how to stop ripping them!"

"But sewing is-"

Aang's hand shot over his mouth before he could get himself in deeper with the furious waterbender that was his sister. He growled and muttered something under his breath.

"What was that, Sokka?"

"I promise I'll try not to rip my pants anymore, just please sew them."

Katara stood up and jerked the pants from him hands and walked to the edge of the river to sew them up.

"Wow, Sokka. You'd better start choosing your words a little more carefully before she kills you," Aang said, holding back his amusement.

"She's nuts!" he yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. A water whip hit him in the back of the head. "Ow!"

"You deserved that," Zuko told him over the fire.

"Shut it, firebender."

"Now, that wasn't very friendly," Zuko said in a mocking tone.

"Come on guys, we don't need more fighting. Let's just settle on finding some food, okay?" Aang stood up and motioned to the woods around them. "Surely you can do that together without fighting."

"_What_?" the two boys yelled in unison.

"You want us to go together?"

"He'll try to kill me!"

"I'm not going to kill you, peasant! I found the ostrich-horses that got half of us away!"

"I could've found them myself-"

Both of them were caught offguard when Katara shot water at them, freezing their mouths shut. "I'll unfreeze you if you both shut up and agree to work together to find food.. unless you want me to do that too. Of course, that's not a woman's job!"

Luckily Sokka's mouth was shut, or he would've said something to that, but all that came out were muffled sounds. By the time Katara unfroze them, he had thought over what he was about to say and agreed he wanted to live to eat at least.

"Come on, let's find dinner," Zuko mumbled, waving to Sokka as he started into the woods.

"I can't believe we left everything," Toph said quietly, resting her head on her folded up knees.

Iroh patted her on the back. "Well, we didn't exactly have time to pack up our things while we were being attacked. We'll survive until we get to the next town."

"I hope so."

Katara finished her brother's pants and tossed them aside to bend a little. She went through all the basic moves a couple times and was about to start on some more advanced ones when the boys came back. She hadn't even noticed that Iroh had made some tea.

_Of course, I should've guessed. That man is always drinking tea_.

"I'm surprised you both came back alive," Katara grumbled as she made her way to see what they had brought. She wasn't surprised to see Sokka with a shirt-full of berries.

"This is all we could find. Your ditz of a brother kept scaring all the animals away," Zuko explained.

Katara sighed and shook her head. "I thought you would've learned something from me after all the time traveling together, Sokka. We can't eat these, they're Macaoli berries." She hit the bottom of his shirt and sent the berries flying everywhere.

"Katara, that was food!"

"Go ahead and eat them if you want, maybe Toph won't feel so alone."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Toph shouted, standing up.

"They cause blindness, am I the only one who knows this?"

"I knew," Iroh said, raising his hand.

Katara walked back to the river and within a few minutes, they had enough fish to feed everyone twice. "There you go, _oh mighty hunters_."

"Hey Sugar Queen, what's your problem?"

"Yeah, Katara. You've been really moody since we left," Sokka agreed.

"It's nothing, I guess I'm just tired." She sat down and put her head in her hands, silently telling her headache to go away. Zuko watched her with some concern, but decided not to press the matter.

"Okay, whatever," Sokka said, digging into his steaming fish. He didn't realize how hot it was and it burned his mouth. He started yelling and Katara shot a stream of icy cold water at him.

"Oh yeah. Be careful, it's hot," Zuko laughed. Even Katara smiled at that. Sokka didn't think it was funny, but everyone else always seemed to be amused by his discomfort.

When they finished eating, Sokka surprised everyone by helping clean up. Katara and Aang went to the river to practice some before it got too dark, Toph and Iroh sat by the fire and played with Momo, and Zuko just sat under a tree, looking up at the sky and letting his mind wander over everything.

_Zuko.. Please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things seem to change, never forget who you are._

"Mom.." he whispered. He could've sworn he saw her face in the passing clouds, but it could've been his imagination, combined with his sleepiness. It was getting dark and he wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, but Katara and Aang were already done practicing and Sokka and Toph were asleep. He stood up and stretched the pain out of his back, catching the attention of his uncle.

"For a little while, I thought you were asleep with your eyes open," Iroh chuckled.

"No, but I am tired."

"You should get some rest. A man needs his rest." Iroh stood and put a hand on his nephew's shoulder.

Zuko sighed. "Goodnight then."

"Goodnight, Zuko," Katara quietly said, flashing him a small smile.

He laid down next to his tree, adjusted his body heat to keep him warm, and closed his eyes. Katara watched, wondering what was bothering him. She knew he wasn't asleep.

"So I just meditate next to the fire and my breath controls the flames?"

"Well, there's more to it than that, but yes, basically. Concentrate on controlling the flame as you breath. Firebending is in the breath, not the strength. This is a good warm-up."

Aang sat next to the campfire and got in his meditating position. It took a couple minutes, but soon the fire was growing and shrinking with his breathing. Katara watched the fire and her eyelids started to droop.

"Maybe you should follow your friends' example and get some sleep, Miss Katara," Iroh chuckled.

She slowly got up and slipped into her sleeping bag. Luckily they still had them because they hadn't unpacked them from Appa. She automatically felt better because it had been so long since she had slept in it and before she knew it, she was out.

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"Ah! Katara, what was that for?"

"I've been trying to yell at you to wake up for a few minutes and I knew water always woke you up. We have to leave now."

Sokka grumbled something under his breath, but slid out of his sleeping bag and packed it up on Appa. Iroh, Aang, and Toph jumped up on Appa's saddle and they took off while Zuko, Katara, and Sokka grabbed the ostrich-horses.

"How long will it take us to get to Ba Sing Sei?" she asked.

"Well, we were only a couple days from it when we turned around to go get you, so I'd say.. about a week, maybe a little more depending on these things," Sokka replied, patting the ostrich-horse. "Maybe a little less seeing as how we were walking last time."

"So in other words, you have no idea."

"Yep."

"I can't wait to get there so we can stop running from everyone and everything. It'll be nice to stay somewhere and be able to stay for longer than a day."

"Yeah, we just have to keep me and my uncle disguised," Zuko muttered. "They would kill us if they found us out, even if we are helping you guys."

"Why?" Katara and Sokka asked at the same time.

"My uncle is the one who led the attack on Ba Sing Sei for 600 days. They would surely kill him for that.. and me just for being who I am. The son of the firelord, the banished prince of the most hated nation in the world."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Katara reassured him, hugging around his waist tighter. She blushed slightly when she felt the well-sculpted stomach in her grip, not knowing the same warmth was on his cheeks as well. They heard Sokka sigh and Katara noticed him rolling his eyes and moving ahead of them as if to get away from them.

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Iroh was hanging over the side of Appa's saddle happily, watching the trees and such fly by under them. They weren't going all that fast so he was able to keep an eye on the rest of their group below them. He noticed one of them pulling ahead of the other, but his sight wasn't what it used to be so he couldn't make out who it was.

"The view is amazing, isn't it Iroh?"

"Absolutely," he agreed.

"Yeah, it is, huh?" Toph added sarcastically.

"Sorry, Toph," Aang apologized.

"Eh, it's no problem. I've gotten used to it by now. I just like the feeling of flying, although I'd prefer to be on the ground where I can see."

Iroh chuckled at her and she managed a grin to grace her face as well. Momo curled up in her lap and she stroked his large ears absently. Aang watched her and smiled.

"You know, once we get to Ba Sing Sei, my nephew and I will need disguises. I don't think they'll think twice about killing us if they discover us."

"What for?" Toph asked curiously, looking up from her Momo-covered lap.

"Besides being from the Fire Nation, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to have the head of the general who laid siege to the city for 600 days."

"That was you?" Toph gasped. "I've heard stories of you! They called you the Dragon of the West."

"That's me."

Aang turned back to them. "Okay, the next town we find, we'll stop for supplies and see if we can find something for you to wear."

"That sounds like a plan, young Avatar."

"Look, there's one!" Toph yelled, pointing out over the saddle.

"Where?"

"That's what it would sound like if you saw one," she said, waving a hand in front of her eyes.

Aang laughed. "She did that in the desert too."

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"Are we stopping for lunch or going right on through to dinner?"

"What? We can't miss lunch!"

"If we're going to keep up with that flying heap of fur, we have to."

The trio went on about food for a few minutes before Sokka was smacked in the back of the head with a piece of jerky Katara had found in the saddle-bag. He didn't care where she got it, it was food. She and Zuko watched in disgust as he hungrily wolfed it down.

"Sokka, how are we related?"

He put on a fake hurt look that anyone could see through. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nevermind," she sighed, shaking her head. She shifted her weight on the saddle uncomfortably. "How can you stand riding these things this long?"

Zuko turned to see her still trying to adjust herself. "Numb?"

"Yes and it's starting to get annoying. I swear if I got down, I wouldn't be able to stand upright. I'd fall over and you'd all laugh at me."

"In that case, let's stop."

"No, we need to keep going. Since Genious over there doesn't know how long it'll take, we could be there sooner than we think and I'd rather get there as fast as we can. We don't have time to stop for a laugh."

"I was kidding Katara, calm down. See, I have this thing where I do that now."

Katara laughed a little, even Sokka managed one. He was back to riding next to them. He looked to his sister and mentally smacked himself for not noticing this before. "Hey Katara, where are your hair loopies?"

"I wore my hair down the night Zuko's ship went down and my charms went down with it. I've had it down up until we got to that town. Have you not noticed it before?"

"Now you know how I felt when I lost my boomerang."

"Oh yes, Sokka, because this is the same thing."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not! Why on earth would I do that? I'm your sister!"

"Okay, now it's obvious."

"What's obvious?"

"Okay, Katara, you can stop."

"Stop what?"

"Will you two shut up?" Zuko finally said, bringing an awkward silence between the three teenagers.

Katara glanced up at Appa who, she noticed, was slowly descending. "Hey guys, they're coming down."

"I wonder why, it's barely after noon," Zuko pointed out.

"Maybe we're there already!" Sokka exclaimed.

Katara rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yeah, and bull-hogs can fly."

Zuko held up a hand, signaling for them to be quiet. He strained his ears to hear over the sound of the ostrich-horses and heard the faint sound of people. He wasn't sure if it was the rest of the group on Appa or if there was a town ahead. He looked up and saw an orange and yellow figure swooping down at them.

"Hey guys, there's a town up ahead so we're stopping for supplies and some disguises for Zuko and his uncle," Aang said as he reached them on his glider.

"Make sure you land Appa far enough away from the town to not get noticed," Katara told him. "We don't know how Avatar-friendly this town is."

"Okay!" he yelled as he swooped back up in the air to rejoin the other two still seated on the bison.

"Is he always like that?" Zuko asked.

"Unfortunately," said Katara and Sokka together. They looked at each other and laughed.

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The sound of children laughing and playing made Katara smile. For some reason, she had missed that sound dearly. Two young dark-haired boys were kicking a ball around in the dirt and a younger girl watched with a pout on her face. She and one of the boys, she noticed, had green eyes while the other boy had golden ones. Her curiousity spoke up inside, but she wasn't about to ask a strange boy about his parents. She found herself missing the days when her and Sokka were that age, playing in the snow around their hut.

"Hey Katara, where are you?"

"I'm right here, Aang."

"Your eyes said you were somewhere else," he told her. "Are you feeling alright? You look lost."

She shook her head, trying to clear it of its thoughts. "Lost in my thoughts maybe. Come on, let's get the food we need and head out. We still have a way to go."

They stopped at the first food vendor they saw and stocked up on all the cured meats and fruits and such that they would need. Neither bothered with tea, they knew Iroh would drag Zuko around to get some while they looked for disguises. Of course they were right. Iroh was going on wildly to a shop owner about all the different teas her shop held and she responded to him fondly. Zuko groaned and walked out, noticing some papers pinned up in the middle of the street. He made his way over to them, almost getting pummeled by a rather large cart carrying masks. One of them fell to the ground at his feet that the vendor didn't notice and he picked it up and studied it with a smirk on his face.

"I should've known my old alias would come back to haunt me," he said quietly to himself as he traced the features of the blue mask. He tucked the mask away and continued making his way to the posters and found them as Wanted posters. He knew everyone in them all. He and Iroh, Aang, the Blue Spirit, Jeong Jeong, and one of Jeong Jeong's followers whose name escaped him at the moment.

"Zuko! Zuko, look what I found!"

Zuko whipped around, glaring at the old man that was his uncle. "Uncle, have I not made myself clear about using my name in public? I am Li, remember that!"

"Right, sorry.. anyway, the lovely woman in the shop showed me some crossbreed teas, some that are supposed to help cure poisons!"

"We don't have much money, stop buying things we don't need," he grumbled.

"But we-"

"No, we don't. Tea is not a necessity, Uncle. Let's go find the others and head out."

"But what about our disguises, Zu- I mean, _Li_?" his uncle corrected himself.

He had forgotten about that since he had found the familiar face of his old mask. He grumbled something incoherant under his breath and stomped off in the direction Iroh was already headed.

**_Meanwhile.._**

"Come on, Snoozles, give it back!"

"Or what?"

"Or I'll have to do this!"

Sokka shrieked as he was suddenly thrust in the ground and buried to his chin. Toph snatched the bag out of his hands and went back to sit next to Appa. She was humming quietly to herself, thinking over how long she would leave him in the ground like that.

"Come on, Toph! Let me out! My arms are getting tired and I think the blood is starting to leave my fingers!"

"Maybe next time you'll be smart about who you take things from, huh?"

"Ah, now my hands are numb! Please let me out before I lose all feeling in my arms."

"I think I'll leave you there until one of the others comes back, okay?"

"I'm not sure if my arms are going to wait that long to die!"

She giggled at him as he continued yelling about his arms as they waved above his head. She could feel him trying to wiggle himself out, but he was far too deep to get out of that. Suddenly, she felt someone coming and Sokka shot out of the ground.

"Thanks a lot, Aang. I don't think she was going to let me go."

"Aw, now what'd you do that for, Twinkle Toes?" she asked childishly. "I wasn't going to leave him there long, just until I saw fit for his punishment for stealing my bag."

Aang laughed a little at the flustered Sokka and jumped up on Appa's back to help Katara load everything up. "Have you guys seen or heard anything from Zuko or Iroh?"

"Nope," Toph replied lazily. "Oh wait, here they come."

"Where, I don't-"

"Through those trees up there."

Aang squinted and finally saw the two green figures coming their way, the larger one carrying an armful of things. He smiled at the old man and his shopping abilities, but wished he would be more careful with their money.

"I was talking to a woman in a shop and she said that Ba Sing Sei is only a few more days down the road," he said as he approached them. "We should be there soon."

"Did you get disguises?" Aang asked, jumping up to Appa's head as the old firebender climbed up Appa's tail.

"We sure did!"

"You're lucky I went with the old man, he would've tried to buy the entire store," Zuko grumbled.

Iroh chuckled loudly, holding his stomach. "You're just upset because you're not gifted with my talent for shopping, nephew. Believe me, you'll want to shop sooner or later, at least for special occasions."

Zuko groaned as Aang said the magic words to take off and he kicked his ostrich-horse into motion, riding through the town quickly before someone recognized him. Sokka was keeping up and he was thankful for that at least.

"Hey, lady!" a small voice called from behind them.

Katara looked back and squeezed Zuko's shoulder, signaling him to stop. It was the young girl she had seen earlier and she was holding up something. Something blue. Her hand flew up to her neck and it was bare.

"You dropped this!" the girl called, now slowly approaching them.

She jumped down off of her ride and kneeled down in front of the girl and took her necklace. "Thank you so much. This means a lot to me."

"You're welcome!"

The child giggled and ran off to watch, Katara assumed, her brother play ball. She smiled and shook her head as she climbed back on behind Zuko. "I love kids," she sighed, leaning against his back for support as she fastened her necklace back in place.

"No."

"What?"

"_No_."

"No what? What are you saying no to?"

"No kids."

She giggled and hugged him. "Thinking a little far ahead, don't you think?"

Sokka groaned and moved ahead of them again in hopes of not overhearing anymore of this conversation. Zuko noticed and sped up. Sokka glanced back and noticed they were next to him again and started moving faster. Katara giggled as the boys ended up racing each other down the road, none of them noticing that they were now passing Appa, who was flying slow enough to keep up with them. At the end of the day, the boys had secretly enjoyed their little race, both making an unspoken treaty between them.

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**Yeah, I told you it wasn't all that good, but it was longer than normal and it did have a couple important qualities. Like the Blue Spirit mask? And remember how I mentioned a few chapters back that Katara learning to use the swords would be mentioned later? Well, it may just come back in to play in the next chapter. That's when they arrive at the great city that we'll be seeing here in a week and a half. hehe I'm getting all excited just thinking about the next chapter. You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	17. Chapter 17

_Wow, I'm surprised I got as many reviews as I did for the last chapter. You really do love me! Well, they've finally made it to Ba Sing Sei! I have to admit, I really do love this chapter. Forgive my description of the king, I just made it up (hehe). I hope you guys love this chapter as much as me!_

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"Wow, it's more amazing than I imagined!"

"I told you it was a great city."

"Got the disguises on?"

"Let's hurry, I'm hungry!"

"Are you sure we'll be welcomed right in?"

"I'm positive, I'm the Avatar!"

The group stood outside the walls of Ba Sing Sei, admiring the sight. Zuko was eyeing the few guards in front of the wall, but no one else seemed to care for them. Aang seemed so sure he could just walk on through and maybe he was right, but Zuko wasn't quite as optimistic. If they weren't going to be on guard, he was.

"Okay, we've looked at it long enough, let's go in!"

Aang tugged on Appa's reins and he let out a grunt and started forward, the two ostrich-horses trotting along beside him. This time, Katara was steering so Zuko could somewhat hide behind her.

"The Avatar!" one of the guards yelled. The others turned to look and they all bowed before the bison.

"You don't have to bow," Aang said as the guards stood up. "You'll be doing us a favor just letting us inside the city walls. We're kind of running from people."

"Of course, Avatar Aang," another guard said, bowing his head. "We heard you only had the two Water Tribe siblings with you. May we ask who all you're traveling with now?"

Aang scratched his head and laughed. "Wow, that must've been a long time ago. I've been traveling with these people for a while now. This is Toph, my earthbending teacher," he said, pointing to Toph behind him.

"And this is Li," Katara stepped in, making sure Aang didn't give them away. "He and his uncle are friends and refugees we found in a town a ways back and Aang, being the sweet and caring guy he is, decided to help them get to a safe place."

"Very well, do you need an escort to the palace? I'm sure the king would be pleased to have you."

"No, I'm sure we can find it," Aang reassured them cheerily. "If it's as big as its walls, it should be no problem!"

The guards stepped aside and a big chunk of the wall slid open, revealing the even bigger city inside. The group gasped at what they saw before them, except for Toph of course. Aang led Appa through the wall, the two ostrich-horses following close behind as the wall slammed closed behind them. Aang spotted the glint of the palace rooftops and pointed.

"We're heading up there first. We have to greet the king, then we can go off and explore."

"Aw man, why do we have to greet the king?" Sokka groaned.

"Don't complain, they may throw a feast for us," Katara pointed out, making her brother instantly perk up.

The people along the streets were gasping and pointing as Aang led the giant beast. One of the guards approached them and stopped them. Zuko and Iroh grew a bit nervous.

"We have stables, if you would like to keep your animals there while you're here, Avatar Aang. We can even feed them."

"That'd be great!" Aang yelled excitedly, patting Appa's head. "You hear that, boy?"

They were led to the stables, where everyone unloaded and Aang thanked the men there. Then, the teenagers and Iroh made their way through crowds of people, who were gathering around them trying to talk to Aang, and up to the palace. All around them, Katara could hear girls giggle as they pointed at Zuko and blushed.

"Look how cute he is!"

"The scar only makes him more rugged-looking."

"I wonder if he's single."

Katara grabbed his hand and pulled him closer, glaring at them as she did. He took the hint and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, sending a glare of his own at the girls. Katara held back a giggle herself as she saw the disappointed looks on their faces.

"Ah, you must be the reason for all the commotion on the streets, young travelers."

They looked up at yet another guard just outside the palace doors. Aang nodded and said, "I'm Avatar Aang and we come seeking refuge in the great city of Ba Sing Sei. May we speak to your king? We have fairly urgent business with him."

"Oh yes, I shall inform him of your arrival immediately. Come in, come in!"

He ushered them inside the palace doors and into a great room filled with green and gold. There was furniture on both sides and a small indoor fountain in the middle of the room. Green drapes with golden designs at the bottom hung over the giant windows on either side of the room behind the furniture, allowing for a magnificient view of the great city. Katara imagined it would be even greater at night.

The boys took seats on a green couch off to the right. Katara and Toph sat down beside the fountain and Katara started bending the water and playing with it. Momo curled up in Toph's lap as she ran her finger through the water in the fountain. She let a couple drops fall on the lemur's head, but he didn't move and that took the fun out of it.

"I wonder if we'll be staying in the palace or if we'll be residing at an inn," Aang thought out loud.

"Well, you're the Avatar so you'll probably get to stay here but we may need to find an inn," Katara said. "It's okay though, we still have a little money left, right?"

Just as Toph was about to say something, a loud voice boomed, "That won't be necessary!"

A man in heavy green robes came in the room to greet them. He wasn't all that tall, Katara noticed. He was probably barely taller than her and his voice didn't match him at all. He didn't wear shoes, as most earthbenders don't, and he had a hint of a beard that didn't look like it was growing in very well. If he wasn't the king, they would've laughed at him.

"Welcome, Avatar Aang! I'd heard rumors you were coming our way, but not with such a large group of friends. Don't worry, I've got plenty of room for all of you! You are more than welcome to stay with me here in the palace for the duration of your time here in my city. Tomorrow night, we shall hold a feast for your arrival and perhaps next week we can have a masquerade ball!"

"No, really, that's not necessary-" Aang started, but was cut off by the king.

"Oh, it's no trouble! I've actually been looking for an excuse to throw one," he chuckled.

"Why do you need an excuse? You're the king! That should be enough."

"I know, but I don't like doing things without a reason."

"That's understandable," Katara agreed.

"Come now, let's get you all settled in so that Avatar Aang and I can speak of this 'urgent business'."

He waved them into a long hallway that led into the guest wing of the palace. Walking through there, Zuko was reminded so much of the Fire Palace. They were similar, except instead of red, there was green. It made him feel sad somehow.

They came around a corner and down another long hallway, only this one was a bit darker. They stopped in front of a heavy wooden door with a deep cherry finish and intricate gold details around the top and bottom.

"Avatar Aang, you may stay in this room. It is the finest of the guest rooms and I hope you enjoy it."

He opened the door to reveal the huge bedroom. The bed took up half the wall and sat beside white double doors that led out to a balcony that overlooked the palace gardens. On the other side of the bed was a window that mirrored the double doors. There was a wardrobe and another door that led to its own private bath to the right, a couple armchairs on the left, and a light green canopy over the bed. The bed itself was covered in thick green and gold comforters, silk sheets, and green, gold, and white pillows.

"This is great, thanks!" Aang yelled excitedly as he jumped and floated down on his bed.

"All the other rooms are about the same, only without the canopy. We usually have this one reserved for royalty, but under the circumstances I believe you are just as close. A couple of them are different colors as well. Now come and I'll show the rest of you to your rooms."

Katara's room was blue, not that she was going to complain or anything. She immediately melted into the silk sheets, curling up and tangling herself in them happily. Zuko and Iroh's rooms where gold and Sokka's room was green. Toph's room was white, but she couldn't really see it anyway. She was just happy to have a bed to sleep in again.

Before he left them, he showed them where their dining room was. Since they were honored guests, they had a small dining area to themselves.

"Dinner will be served soon, would you like to wait before or after that to discuss the business?"

Aang looked at him, confused only for a moment, then remembered what he was talking about. "Oh, there's not much to explain so we might as well get it over with."

"Okay," he said as he led Aang away to his private study.

"Well.. should we wait here for dinner?" Katara asked.

"Might as well, we're not sure if they actually come to the rooms to get us or anything," Zuko replied.

"Yes, we get to eat real food!" Sokka screamed, dancing around the table.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sokka froze in his happy dance and his eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't mean that your food is bad, it's just, um, this is.. actually.. served on plates?"

Katara rolled her eyes and sat down next to the head of the table, Zuko and Iroh sitting on her side. Toph and Sokka sat on the other side and left the head for Aang, since he was the reason they were there.

"So.." Sokka started. "What's new with everyone?"

"Shut up, Sokka," Katara giggled.

"What? I'm just trying to make conversation."

Zuko looked up from his folded hands. "Were you wanting to learn how to use my swords? You seemed interested in them a while back."

"Um, sure! All I've ever had were these," Sokka said, pulling out his boomerang, machete, and whale tooth knife. "They do seem kind of barbaric compared to swords."

"Can I learn to?" Katara asked. "You know, just in case I can't use my bending?"

"Katara, swords are f- _ow_!"

Sokka was cut off when Toph kicked him. "You better watch it, Snoozles. I'm not helping you out next time," she whispered.

"Now, what was that Sokka?"

"Dinner is served!"

Everyone turned to the door of their dining room and saw a small line of servants with big covered silver trays. Sokka's stomach growled loudly in response to the sight, receiving a couple laughs at that. The servants marched in and gracefully set the trays down before the guests, lifting the lids before stepping back out and leaving them to their meals. As soon as they disappeared, Aang came back.

"Hey guys, what's for dinner?"

Sokka took in a big wiff of his food before diving in hungrily. Luckily, this time Ty Lee wasn't here to be disgusted, but Katara was. She finally cleared her throat and turned her head back to Aang, who was now sitting himself at the head of the table.

"It looks like the dumplings we had at Toph's house. I hope they're as good," Katara told him. Toph smiled. He looked down the table and noticed a big bowl of fruits in the middle and smiled. He knew the dumplings were good, but just couldn't tear himself away from the fruit.

Everything fell silent as the group ate, enjoying the meal to its fullest for it would be the first of many during their stay in the city. Dinner was cleared when they were done and, for some reason, they all piled up comfortably in Aang's room. Iroh and Katara sat in the armchairs, Sokka sat in the floor in front of the bed, Zuko sat in the floor under Katara, and Toph jumped on the bed, looking as if she were about to fall asleep. Aang sat on the bed up near the pillows, his knees drawn up to his chest.

"So what did you and the king talk about?" Zuko asked.

"Oh, I was telling him about the girls chasing us. You know, giving him descriptions to give the guards so they won't let them in."

"They'll find a way in if they know you're here," Iroh said.

Sokka looked down and played with his fingers. Katara knew what, or rather _who_, had captured his mind and changed the subject. "I wonder if there's a pond or something in the gardens. It would be nice to practice our waterbending in a comfortable place, right Aang?"

"Yeah, and maybe I can get started on some real firebending soon, right?"

The two firebenders eyes widened. They hadn't thought about how to do that without revealing themselves. Iroh finally cleared his throat and spoke. "We're going to have to do that as secretly as possible. Keep in mind, we're fugitives and don't want to be discovered here as firebenders or we'll be killed."

"Or worse," Zuko added.

"What could be worse than being killed?" Toph asked sleepily.

"A lot of things," he quietly replied, turning his head away. Katara reached down and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Aang sighed and flung himself back into his pillows. "That's going to make it hard, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so," Iroh said, rubbing his bearded chin.

Katara laughed nervously. "Wow, changing the subject again. So, who's going exploring with me tomorrow? We could get some shopping done!"

"I'm going!" Iroh called, raising a hand.

"I'll go!" Aang and Toph yelled, both sitting upright.

"I guess I could use some swords of my own," Sokka grumbled.

Everyone looked at Zuko, waiting for an answer. He looked around at them all, knowing what they wanted. "Do I _have_ to?"

"Yes you do," Katara giggled as she leaned forward and hugged him around the neck. "You'll be fine. Besides, who's going to protect me from all the guys out there when Sokka isn't watching me?"

Sokka looked up at her. "_What_!"

"Fine, I'll go."

"Awesome! So let's all go get some sleep and we can start exploring in the morning!"

Katara jumped up, careful not to step on Zuko, and bounded out the door back to her room. Iroh and Zuko followed her, Sokka leaving right after them.

"So, Twinkle Toes.. we're in Ba Sing Sei and they still don't know."

"We'll tell them tomorrow night, I promise. Go ahead to your bed before they suspect something and I'll see you in the morning." Aang kissed her on the head and she smiled before leaving him to slip into a dreamless sleep.

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Fire lit up one side of the small town as shops burned to the ground. At the other side of the town, a small boy was mounting his family's only ostrich-horse left.

"No, Alec, I won't let you leave!"

The boy looked back into his mother's green eyes. She stared back into his golden ones. "I have to do this, Mom. They're looking for those people that came through here, I have to warn them before it's too late. Get somewhere safe and hide, I promise I'll come back."

Tears stained his mother's cheeks as she let go of his hand, unsure if she would see her only son again. A flame lit up in his hand to help light his way to Ba Sing Sei in the dark. He only hoped he could travel faster than the maniacs burning down his hometown.

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"Ooh, look at this magnificent piece!"

Iroh was going through a junk shop they found, looking at some old tea pots. Sokka was asking the shop owner about weapons in hopes of finding some duel swords like Zuko's. Aang and Toph had run off into another shop somewhere down the street. Katara had dragged Zuko into a dress shop across the street, hoping he would help her pick something out for the feast that night.

"Why do I have to help you? I'm sure anything you wear will be fine!"

"Well, I have to have second opinion and yours would be the best because I know you'll be honest."

"Fine," he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

She giggled and started shuffling through some of the dresses. She tried to stick with the blues, but found a light purple and a red that she liked as well. She piled up a few dresses and went to try them on. Zuko felt uncomfortable being in the shop alone, but he couldn't just leave her. He occupied his mind by browsing through some of the dresses and trying to picture them on Katara.

"Hey, what do you think of this one?"

Zuko turned around and grimaced. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless dress with a couple frilly layers at the bottom. "No, absolutely not. It doesn't suit you at all."

"I liked it, but thank you for at least being honest."

"That's what you asked for."

She turned around and went back to try on another one. Just then, Aang and Toph found him.

"Hey Zuko, is Katara with you?" Aang asked.

"She's trying on some dresses back there."

Toph sighed and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I was hoping she could help me find something. I mean, it _is_ formal, right?"

"Pretty sure, yeah. She should be back out here in a second with another possibly lame dress. I didn't like the last one at all."

"Oh, you're with the Avatar?" a voice called. They turned to see a woman behind a counter, assuming she was the shopkeeper. "The king asked me to specially tailor the dresses for the young women."

"Then I guess this one's out," Katara said as she stepped back out. "And I liked this one alot."

Zuko's jaw dropped and Aang would've been smacked if Toph saw the hint of red in his cheeks. It was the light purple one she had picked out. It was long-sleeved, but it was slit from her shoulder to her wrist and connected in a single spot at her elbow. The sleeves belled out at the end and had a deep purple trim around them and the bottom of the dress, which touched her toes. The neck went a bit low, but low enough to still be decent, and there was a deep purple sash tied around her waist to match.

"_Wow_.." Zuko whispered. "Um, you can do Toph's. I think Katara is set."

"But the king-"

"You're set, that's the one you're wearing. It's perfect."

"Yeah, Katara. I think you should stick with that one," Aang agreed.

"Okay then! Toph, was it?" the lady asked. "Let's get you measured, I may already have something for you!"

Toph hesitated before stepping forward, looking nervously back at Aang. "It's okay, Toph, we'll be right here," he reassured her. She nodded and disappeared in the back.

Katara twirled around, letting the bottom of her dress fly up a bit. "You guys really like this?"

"Um, y-yeah," Zuko said, pulling at the neck of his Earth Kingdom robes.

"It suits me?" she giggled.

"Definitely," Aang and Zuko said in-synch.

"Okay, thanks guys. I'm going to change back into my normal clothes and have this one wrapped up."

She strolled back to the back, leaving the two boys in the front of the shop. They heard someone clearing their throat behind them and Zuko turned to see his uncle and Sokka standing in the doorway.

"_That's_ what she's wearing tonight?" a flustered Sokka asked, merely receiving a nod from them.

Iroh looked around the shop. "Where is our young earthbender?"

"She's getting measured for a dress," Aang told them.

"Actually, she's done with me already," she spoke up as she strolled out to meet them. "Where's Sugar Queen?"

"Right here," Katara called as she stepped out. "I was just changing back into my normal clothes to pay for the dress."

"Oh, the king said that while you're here, you are his honored guests and nothing is of any expense to you."

The group stared at the woman behind the counter as if she'd lost her mind. "Um, are you serious?" Katara finally asked, breaking the silence.

"That's what he said. The dress for Lady Toph should be finished in just a couple hours. You can come back to pick it up then, okay?"

"Well, can I go ahead and get a couple more dresses while I'm here?" Katara nervously asked, holding up the other two dresses she found that she liked.

"Absolutely!"

"Thank you!" Toph and Katara called as the group filed out of the shop.

"Why just a couple of hours? Isn't it supposed to take longer than that to make a dress?" Aang wondered.

"Well, she found one that almost fit me so she's just doing some alterations for that one. Let's go shop some more while my dress is getting ready!"

Iroh laughed, "Indeed, especially since we've no money limit!"

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The music in the background was soft and soothing as the many people sat around a long table in the main dining hall. Katara had her hair pinned up in a simple bun with her elegant purple dress, Zuko and Iroh had bought new, non-tattered robes, even Aang and Sokka were wearing new clothes. Toph's new dress was white and light green and her friends had talked her into wearing her hair down. All the nobles and other guests at the feast were trying to talk to Aang before the food was brought out before them, asking him all sorts of questions.

"What elements have you mastered?"

"When are you going to defeat the firelord?"

"Have you found a firebending teacher yet?"

"How does it feel to be the last airbender left?"

The king stood up from his seat at the head of the table. "My people, please! Don't question our young Avatar to death," he chuckled. "Dinner is served!"

He clapped his hands twice and a long line of servants brought out many dishes of different foods, setting them all along the table before the guests. A few others came out and poured some kind of dark red liquid into their cups. Katara hoped it was juice and not some kind of wine. She wasn't fond of drinking, she's seen what it does to people.

The king held his glass up, everyone else following suit. "Tonight, we toast to the Avatar and his friends and teachers. May they teach him well in the elements and in friendship so that he may be strong enough and wise enough to defeat the firelord!"

There were excited yells and the sounds of cups hitting together before everyone went off into their own little conversations while they ate.

"Oh, look at all this delicious food!" Sokka all but yelled. He grabbed a little of everything he could reach around him and shoved it down his throat.

"Sokka, calm down!" Katara hissed. "We're eating with nobles and royalty, try to act decent please!"

Sokka looked at her hurt, then decided she was right and slowed down and actually used his fork. Aang and Iroh laughed at him, Zuko just smirked and continued picking at the mango halves on his plate.

"This food is really good," Toph said.

Katara picked up her cup and looked in it. "I wonder what they put in the cups. I'm almost afraid to try it."

"I've tried almost everything, let me tell you," Iroh chuckled, taking a sip of the red liquid. His eyes widened and he put the cup down. "You had better stick with water unless you want to be drunk."

"I _knew_ it," Katara mumbled disappointedly.

"Hey guys, do you hear that?" Aang asked, sitting straight up. "It sounds like.."

"Like someone getting into a fight," Toph finished.

They were about to get up to go see when the doors of the dining hall were thrown open and a young boy stood facing them. Katara recognized the golden eyes of the boy, he was the one she'd seen back at the last village they stopped at.

"Avatar Aang!" he yelled as Aang stood up. A guard came up behind the boy to apprehend him, but he was only fireblasted back, startling everyone in the room. "Avatar, I've come to warn you!"

"Warn me about what?"

The boy, Alec, ran up to him hurriedly. "My home was just burned to the ground by some fierce looking-people that were looking for you and your friends. They were on their way here, they may be outside the walls right now. I left as soon as I could to find you."

"Azula.."

"No, there were no girls-"

"Grab the boy, he's a firebender!"

"No! I want to hear what he has to say to me," Aang yelled, stopping the approaching guards. "Who were they?"

"It was a big group of men, one of them was a firebender. He's the one that was burning everything. The others just watched and laughed as the townspeople died in the burning buildings. One of them had a weird green bird on his shoulder."

Zuko stood up suddenly. "Why are they on land?"

"Who is he talking about, Li?" Katara asked.

"Our pirate friends are back with a new recruit."

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**Mwahaha! Thanks to A True Dreamer for suggesting I bring the golden-eyed boy back! I knew he'd be of some use.. Anywho, tell me how much you loved this chapter! I _soo_ want the dress I had Katara wear, it looks amazing when I picture it in my head lol! Well, you all know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	18. Chapter 18

_Sorry about the longer updates, I'm trying to spend time with my cousin before he goes back to Florida in a few days.. plus, my sister and I have been practicing our martial arts alot. It's cool as long as I update, right? Well, here ya go!_

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"He can stay in my room with me."

"But he's a firebender, Lady Katara."

"He's still just a kid and he needs our help. His town was just burnt down."

"Then he is your responsibility."

The king turned and left, leaving the group to talk things over. Alec sat nervously on the edge of Aang's bed. Katara sat next to him, an arm wrapped protectively around his shoulders.

"What did the firebender look like?"

Alec fidgeted with his fingers for a second before replying. "Well, he was wearing dark clothes from what I could see, probably red, and he had a ponytail, but some of it was down. He was kind of thin too."

Katara's eyes widened as he described the man. She searched Aang's room for a pen and paper and started drawing, something she hadn't done since she was locked away on Zuko's ship. When she was finished, she held it up for the boy. "Is this what he looked like?"

"Yes, that's him!"

Sokka looked at the picture and shook his head. "No, that looks like Haru."

"Remember the guy from the island that Toph left buried against the tree? This is him, his name is Kiatoh."

"How did he get off the island?"

"Duh, he's with the pirates!"

"But why are they on land?"

"I guess we're going to find out, huh? Well, if they can make it through the walls of the city."

Zuko stood up and knelt in front of Alec. "Where are you from?" he asked softly, surprising everyone in the room.

The younger boy looked up to meet the equally golden eyes of the scarred man. He felt a little more relaxed somehow. "My mom asked me not to tell anyone where we're from."

"Is your mom a firebender too?"

"No, she doesn't bend. She said my daddy was though, but I never met him."

"Are you from the Fire Nation?"

Alec looked to Katara for help and she nodded. "It's okay, watch."

He looked back as Zuko lit a flame in his hand. "It's supposed to be a secret, but I'm from the Fire Nation too. Are you?"

"Y-yes. My daddy got sent to the war before I was born, then my mom moved us out here. She said it was where she grew up."

Zuko glanced up at Katara, the returned his eyes back to Alec. "Your mom is from the Earth Kingdom and your dad is from the Fire Nation?"

Alec nodded. Katara smiled at Zuko. "Love knows no bounds, not even those of war."

"My mom said that before," he said, smiling up at Katara.

"Your mom is a wise woman. Where is she?"

"I told her to hide and wait for me until I got back. When will I get to see her again?"

"After the bad men are dealt with, okay?"

Katara hugged him as he nodded. Iroh stood up and joined them, standing next to his still knelt down nephew. "That was quite a powerful blast to those guards. How old are you?"

"I-I'm 7, sir," he replied cautiously.

"Wow, 7 years old? How often do you practice your firebending?"

"I don't get to very much because of the other people in my town. My mom tells me to be very careful and only practice at night behind the house."

"You're very powerful for your age. Not even my nephew was that powerful at that age. His sister, perhaps, but not him."

"Uncle.."

"No, I'm not saying anything bad about your firebending abilities now. As soon as you master lightening, you'll be just as good as your sister, maybe more."

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. "Lady Katara, there's a man asking for you outside the wall."

Katara got up and went to the door, opening it enough to see the messenger. "Is he with a big group of men that look like pirates?"

"He is. He says if you won't come, then he wants the prince."

Katara kept a calm face and replied, "Well, I guess I have no choice considering we have no prince with us. Guys, I'll be back in a bit." She grabbed her waterskin and waved to her friends and stepped out to follow the messenger.

"I don't like where this is going," Zuko said quietly. "I'll follow behind them and make sure nothing happens. I need my swords.." he trailed off as he slipped out the door. He looked back to make sure no one was watching, then ran into his room and turned into his alias. "The Blue Spirit makes his return."

His balcony overlooked the city and sat just over the roof of the main hall to the ballroom. He swiftly jumped down and ran along the roof, looking for the light purple that would be Katara. He finally spotted her exiting the palace with two guards by her side and breathed a sigh of relief.

_At least they didn't leave her to fend for herself._

He crept along the roofs stealthily, following Katara through the city as she made her way to its protective walls. He stopped on the roof of the stables as the wall slid open and Katara walked through. He looked up and noticed the top of the wall wasn't far away, so he jumped up on top of it and into a nearby tree on the other side to watch Katara from.

"What do you want, Kiatoh?"

"Only to see your pretty face again," he said smugly, gripping her chin between two fingers.

She jerked her face away and glared daggers at him. "Why are you here? And with them?" She nodded back to the small group of pirates standing behind him.

"They saved me from that stupid island you left me to die on!"

"I should've killed you when I had the chance. Oh, what am I saying? I still _have_ that chance."

The Blue Spirit gripped his swords as the captain stepped forward. "Not with us here, girl. This time, you aren't surrounded by water."

"Don't push me," she growled dangerously.

Kiatoh moved quickly and blasted the two guards that were watching, then slammed and pinned Katara to the wall by her throat with one hand and held her wrists tightly with the other. "I could think of a lot of different ways to have fun with a pretty girl like yourself, but none of them include me dying."

Katara squirmed around his his grasp, but he only tightened his grip and made her squeal in pain. "Let go," she barely whispered, still fighting for breath through the grip on her throat. Her head was throbbing from being slammed into the wall and her whole body was sore and she couldn't fight back.

Suddenly, Kiatoh's hold loosened and he held a look of surprise before he fell to the ground. Katara's vision was blurred from her lack of oxygen, but she could still make out a hint of blue amongst the black of night. She could hear the sound of swords clashing together and yelling, then everything went black.

Spirit saw Katara fall limp, but was too busy to do anything for her. He was taking on seven guys at the same time, nothing he hadn't done before but the other guys had easily destroyable spears. He swung a sword out and in one swoop, destroyed the captain's most cherished prize: his parrot. He smirked behind the mask and while he was distracted, ran his swords through the belly of the old man. He sliced out to the sides, letting the man's body fall to the ground in two pieces, and turned back to the others. They charged and Spirit was ready. He easily took two of them out and another ran off in fear. Four down, three to go. The big man left grabbed Spirit's arms so he couldn't move and the tan guy with the long hair let off a smoke bomb.

Spirit was on the edge of panic as he took a blow to the stomach. He felt the ground move in front of and behind him and a little girl's laugh filled his ears.

"The Blind Bandit is here to help!"

_The Blind Bandit? Where've I heard that before? And the voice is familiar too.._

He couldn't see anything through the smoke, but it seemed the other three had been taken care of already. He walked out of the smoke and saw the 'Blind Bandit', which he automatically recognized as Toph with a blindfold on. She turned towards him and smiled.

"I thought you could use a little help. Don't tell Aang I was here, he thinks I'm in my room."

"Don't tell Katara I was here. She thinks I'm the Blue Spirit."

"Why would she think that?"

"Because I am. Don't tell anyone."

He ran over to Katara and picked her up. The 'Blind Bandit' moved the wall and they left the last three guys buried to their chins in the earth.

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"It was kind of romantic and I felt so safe in his arms. It seemed.. _familiar_ somehow."

Katara was explaining the events of the night before over breakfast in their dining room. Iroh, Aang, and Alec were caught up in the story, Sokka was rolling his eyes and trying not to listen, and Zuko and Toph kept smiling.

"So you're going to leave me for some guy whose face you've never seen?" Zuko asked, trying to sound serious.

"You know, Katara," Sokka started. "I don't like you with Zuko, but I'd rather have you with him than with some random masked guy that saved your life once."

"I never said I was leaving! I was just saying it was romantic."

Toph giggled softly and continued eating. Zuko and Aang fought back smiles. Sokka looked just downright confused at the other three's reactions. "Something's going on around here that I don't know about," he said, looking between the three benders.

"What makes you say that, Sokka?" Aang asked innocently.

He kept glancing between them and finally sighed, "Nevermind."

"Hey, if you still want to, you can meet me in the gardens tonight and I'll teach you guys a thing or two with the swords," Zuko offered, trying for a new subject.

"Yeah!" Sokka yelled. "I heard about a weapon shop from the junk shop lady yesterday and I'm going to see if I can find some decent dual swords today while I'm out. Anyone want to come?"

"No, I think I'll be in the gardens today practicing my waterbending," Katara said. "I'll be there tonight for the lesson though!" She stopped to think for a second, then, "On second thought, I'll go with you. It's not enough that I know how to use them. My skills are no use if I don't have the weapon on hand, right?"

"Okay, so Katara and I are going weapon shopping. What are you guys doing?" Sokka asked them.

Zuko finished his meal and stifled a yawn. "I think I'll tag along with you guys and see their selection. I've heard good things about the weapons here."

"I think I'm going to take young Alec and go tea shopping," Iroh chuckled.

"Again?"

"You can never have too much tea!"

Zuko rolled his eyes and shook his head. Aang laughed at the cooky old man. "I'm taking Appa out. If he doesn't fly for a while, he gets depressed."

"Can I come?" Toph piped up.

"Sure! I could always use company up there. Not that Momo isn't good company," he added as the lemur jumped up on his head.

Sokka and Katara stood up, followed by Zuko. "Well, I guess we're headed out. We'll catch up with you guys later!" Sokka yelled as they headed out.

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"Look at all the boomerangs!"

"We're not here for boomerangs."

"But look!"

Katara approached the young man behind the counter of the shop. "Excuse me, can you tell me exactly where you keep dual swords?"

The green-eyed man was shocked at her request. "Now, what's a pretty lady like yourself need with those big swords? Those are for fighting, you know."

"I'm a fighter," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. _What is it with the sexist remarks towards me?_

"Now now, there's a nifty little dress shop across-"

"I'm looking for swords," Katara growled. "Please tell me where they are or you'll have to explain to the king himself why you wouldn't assist his most honored guests, me being Lady Katara, of course."

The man gulped nervously and pointed close to where Sokka was already standing. "I'm sorry, Lady Katara. They're over there."

"Thank you!" she called cheerfully, bounding over to her brother. Zuko watched her in admiration. It was hard to believe her mood swings sometimes. "Li, over here!" She was waving to him as he was snapped from his thoughts and he made his way to them.

"We're not looking for anything fancy," he reminded them as Sokka admired a set with pearl handles. "We're looking for well-crafted and sturdy like these." He pulled out his and compared them to the ones laying on the table before them.

"What about these?" Katara asked, holding up a pair and taking a stance. "They're actually really light, they'd be easy for me to handle."

Zuko took one in his hand and touched the blade. He hissed and drew his hand back, his finger covered in blood. "Well, the blade is alot sharper than mine, that's for sure."

"Those are made from a rare metal found in some of the mines just south of here," the man behind the counter told them. "They're very light, but indestructible. Incredible weapons, perfect for a young warrior such as yourself, my lady."

Katara smiled in thanks for the information, then turned back to Zuko, whose hand was now covered in blood from the tiny cut. She uncapped her waterskin and quickly healed it and used the remaining water to wash his hand off. Then, she took the swords and placed them in their sheath and approached the man.

"These are mine, compliments of the king."

"Of course, Lady Katara."

Zuko picked up another set and handed them to Sokka. "These look sturdy, see how they feel."

Sokka held up the black-bladed duel swords and moved them around a bit before nodding in approval. "I like these."

"Okay, we're set then!"

He kept them out to show the man behind the counter what he was taking. He nodded and smiled, "Those are my personal favorites. They're popular in the eastern Earth Kingdom. The black steel blade could cut through just about anything and it's got the sandlewood handles with the cherry finish to add to its myterious appearance. I love them."

"I think that's the same stuff our doors are made out of in the palace," Sokka said. "That's cool."

"Okay, let's go find your uncle before he buys all the tea in Ba Sing Sei," Katara giggled.

Sokka sheathed his new swords and the three walked out of the shop, each with their duel swords on their hips. Most people steered clear of them with a glance of the swords, but some people recognized the Water Tribe clothes of the siblings and greeted them with warm hellos. After a few minutes walking aimlessly around the vast ocean of shops, restaurants, and street vendors, they heard the familiar chuckle of the former Dragon of the West.

They stopped in front of an herbal tea store and peeked in and sure enough the old man was chatting up a storm with the clerk working the shop, Alec at his side. Katara laughed and walked in the shop to pull them away from the seemingly interesting conversation. "Come, Uncle. We need to go."

"Oh, Miss Katara! Look at this lovely tea plant!"

"That's nice, now we need to go."

"What for? Is something wrong?"

She leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "You forget, you and Zuko have to be as careful as possible because someone might recognize you two and we'll be in big trouble. You have to limit your time out and about in the city."

"Good point," he whispered back as they all started back towards the palace.

Alec held tightly onto Katara's hand as they made their way. They got more stares as they walked through the streets and Katara pulled Alec and Zuko closer. Zuko's presence comforted her. The stares made her uncomfortable and she unconciously placed a hand on her swords. They weren't the usual ones that they'd been getting all day.

"Hey guys, do we have something on our faces?" Sokka whispered to them.

Katara looked around. "Does anyone else feel like we're being followed?"

"You feel it too?" Zuko looked at her and she nodded. "Your warrior instincts are improving already."

"Hey Katara, Sokka, long time no see," came a smooth, familiar voice from behind them.

"I finally get rid of one jerk and run into another one," Katara said rather loudly. She angrily turned to face the dark-haired boy, hand still on her swords. Sokka and Zuko were ready too. Alec hid behind Katara and Zuko, hand still hanging onto Katara's. She squeezed it for reassurance.

"You know, it's been a while since I've seen you but I don't remember you having a kid."

"If I were you, I'd turn around and leave," she growled, patting her swords on her hip.

"Those aren't right for you, Katara."

"Don't make me use them, Jet."

Jet took a step closer and so did Sokka and Zuko. Jet lifted his eyebrows at them. "Do you have bodyguards now?"

Katara smirked at him. "No, just two overprotective boys that love me. I'd suggest you leave us alone while we're here, we're close friends with the king and could easily have you thrown out of the city. I guess that wouldn't matter though, you've always got your little treehouse to play in, right?"

Jet took another step closer and both Sokka and Zuko drew their swords, even though Sokka wasn't all that experienced with them. Jet stepped back and frowned. "Fine, but I'll see you again. You can count on that."

"Looking forward to it," she replied sarcastically.

He turned and walked away and the boys sheathed their swords. "I hate that guy," Sokka said.

"Who was he?" Alec asked.

"Just a stupid rebel leader that doesn't know what he's doing," Katara sighed. "I wonder why he's even here. If I didn't hate him so much, I'd ask."

Zuko remembered hearing about him and looked down at her as they continued down the street again. "Oh, that's the Freedom Fighter guy you told me about on the ship?"

"That's the one, and if he's anything like before, he _will_ be back." She glanced behind her shoulder one last time before they stepped into the palace gates.

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**hehe I watched X-Men and that's where I got the idea for Katara's swords. Well, this one was decent. It wasn't exactly my favorite. I brought Jet back so that should be interesting! And the Blind Bandit! Woohoo! I think they're taking Alec back home in the next chapter, but he may or may not be back in a later chapter. Well, you know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	19. Chapter 19

_Hmm.. I figured the last chapter would've gotten more reviews cuz all the ones before it had gotten at least 15, but whatever. Anyway, I felt kind of bad for what I did at the end of this chapter but I had to do it. I may be able to update quicker this week because my mom is running off to Florida with my daughter for a few days and I'll have more time to write. :D Anyways, here's the next chapter!_

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"Spread your legs a bit wider. You have to have a stable stance. Think of the Av- Aang's earthbending stance, only put the swords into play."

"Like this?"

"Perfect stance, Katara. Sokka, bring your arm back a bit."

Sokka rolled his eyes and adjusted his stance again. The swords felt weird in his hands after using his other weapons for so long, but at the same time he was comfortable with them. Katara stepped forward and gracefully manuevered the swords around like Zuko had taught her on the deck of their last ship. Sokka mimicked the move with a little less grace and she laughed at him.

"Take it slower before you take your arm off," Zuko instructed. "In your case, grace is something that has to be learned. Katara, being a waterbending master, already has the grace and confidence needed to become skilled with these swords." Zuko moved his own swords around as he talked. "But you should be able to pick it up pretty quick since you do have experience with weapons and have had training."

"So, just like this?" Sokka asked as he repeated the move a little slower.

"Just like that. Now, let's learn how to strike and block."

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"I should be getting home now that those men are gone. Thanks alot for helping me."

"Will you be okay on your own?"

"I'll be fine, I made it here by myself in one piece, right?"

"Why don't I have my nephew and Miss Katara escort you home just in case?"

"If you insist. Where are they?"

"Oh, they're practicing in the gardens. Would you like to join me down there?"

"Sure!"

Iroh and Alec left the room and went down to the gardens to see Sokka and Katara sparring with their twin dao. They stood off to the side unnoticed, watching the progress the siblings were making. When Zuko stepped in, so did they.

"Li, Katara, I have a favor to ask of you," Iroh called to them. They didn't look startled, but Sokka did. Katara looked as if she were expecting them.

"I thought I heard something over there," she smiled. "What do you need?"

"Our young friend Alec here wishes to go home tomorrow and I insisted on an escort just in case. Would you mind?"

Katara beamed. "I'd love to take you home, Alec!"

"Uncle.." Zuko grumbled.

"Maybe we could bring you back for the masquerade ball and you can be my date!" she giggled.

Zuko half-smiled and shook his head. "Fine, I guess we can take him back."

"Can you help me find my mom if she's not at my house?" he asked.

Katara kneeled down beside him. "I think we can do that. We'll leave in the morning after breakfast, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed.

"Now go ahead to bed and I'll be up in a little bit," she said as she hugged him. She ruffled his short black hair and he giggled as Iroh led him back into the palace.

"How are you so good with kids?" Sokka asked her, sheathing his swords. "They don't respond all that well to me. You should've helped me with warrior training in the South Pole."

Katara giggled, "It's just my motherly nature, you know that. Do all you firebenders look alike?"

Zuko lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"He just looks a lot like you, that's all. I swear you two could be brothers or something."

"Katara, we don't need another Zuko around here," her brother scoffed. "Why would you even think that?"

"I just think it's cute, that's all. You boys can stay out here and practice, I think I'm turning in for the night." She hugged Zuko around the neck and kissed him. He pulled her closer to deepened the kiss, but she broke away at Sokka's gagging noises and glared at him.

"Do you mind? I'm right here!"

"I know," Katara smirked. She gave Zuko another quick peck on the lips and bounced off through the gardens and back up to her room where Alec was already asleep. Part of her didn't want him to leave because she had already grown attached to the young firebender. Her motherly nature took over when she first saw him in the main dining hall and now it didn't want to let go. She crept into the opposite side of her bed and whispered a 'goodnight' before letting the prolonged sleep overtake her.

_The sound of music filled her ears as she danced with all the masked strangers. Part of her wanted the Blue Spirit to show up to dance with her, but the other part scolded her for thinking of someone other than Zuko. She knew Zuko was her soulmate, her other half. It was then that she wondered where he'd run off to as she was being passed on from stranger to stranger. She could feel Sokka's eyes burning a hole in her back and that made her feel somewhat more comfortable, but the fact that Zuko was missing worried her._

_"We meet again."_

_She gasped as she found herself in the arms of her blue-masked hero and a smile crept across her face. She glanced around once more to look for Zuko, but only found Sokka still eyeing them, and allowed herself to relax a little._

_"You act as if you're looking for someone," he said._

_"I heard you don't talk with your mask on."_

_"If I talk, it doesn't look so suspicious. I'm sure there are lots of people in here willing to cash me in to the Fire Nation if they knew I was the real thing."_

_"Why? You saved the Avatar from Zhao and you saved me from that Kiatoh guy and the pirates. You're a hero in my eyes."_

_"Well, rescuing the Avatar was what put me on the Wanted posters. The Fire Nation wasn't very grateful for that."_

_"Katara, what are you doing?"_

_She jumped away and turned to see Zuko making his way through the masked dancers. "Zuko, I-"_

_"I've been looking everywhere for you, come on."_

_He grabbed her hand and she turned to wave at her saviour, but he was gone. She was disappointed but relieved at the same time. She secretly hoped to see him again.._

"Katara, breakfast is about to be served."

She opened her eyes to see Zuko and Alec both hovered over her face. She smiled to herself at the thought of how much alike they looked. Had they been walking side by side in the streets, people would surely mistake them for brothers.. or father and son.

"Your warrior instincts are supposed to alert you at the slightest noise," Zuko frowned.

"Okay, first, my warrior instincts are still in training. Second, I was in the middle of a _really_ good dream. Third, I'm in a comfortable bed in a very safe city and I'd like to sleep in! I've gotten up before everyone since we were on that island and now I'm making up for it."

Alec jumped off the bed and watched as Katara got up yawning. "I'll go get Uncle!" he yelled as he ran out of the room and down the hall.

Katara laughed at him, then realized Zuko was still standing over her and staring down at her. "Why are you looking at- _mmph_!"

She was cut off when Zuko roughly grabbed her upper arms and smashed his lips on hers. Her wide eyes softened as the shock of the kiss wore down and soon she found her hands running up his chest and caressing his cheek. His tongue slid over her lips begging for entrance and she granted it. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pressed her body against his. She pulled away a bit and he continued the kisses down her neck.

"Zuko, what's gotten into you this morning?" she giggled. He growled into her neck and bit it gently, making her giggle more. "Zuko, stop. My door is hanging wide open and I think someone's coming."

He reluctantly let go and nodded. She could tell he was trying hard to restrain himself and wanted to laugh, but didn't because it was almost as hard for her. Just then, Alec came running back into the room with Iroh right behind him. He smiled knowingly at the couple.

"Let's go get some breakfast!" Alec shouted as he jumped up on the bed.

"Yeah, the sooner we eat, the sooner we can get you home," Katara reminded them. "Do you think Aang would mind if we took Appa or would that draw too much unwanted attention?"

"Let's take the ostrich-horses," Zuko suggested. "We don't know where Azula and her gang are now."

"Come on! Breakfast, breakfast, _breakfast_!" Alec squealed, jumping on the bed.

Katara laughed, "You're as hyper as Aang. Okay, let's go get breakfast."

He jumped down into her arms and they all walked together to their dining room to find Aang and Toph already there and breakfast set out before them. Aang looked up and waved at them.

"Where've you guys been?" Toph asked. "And where's Snoozles?"

"He's probably still asleep. We stayed up for a while last night perfecting his moves," said Zuko.

"Then why are you up, Li?"

Zuko smirked, even though she couldn't see it. "Firebenders rise with the sun.. and Katara and I are taking Alec home today when we get done with breakfast."

Aang swallowed his food and looked up at them. "You can take Appa if you want. It'll be faster."

Katara shook her head. "He's too noticable and we don't know where Azula is."

"Good point."

The trio ate quickly and had some food packed to take with them. The king offered to send some guards with them, but they politely turned him down saying they weren't much help the night the pirates attacked and that they could handle themselves. They were escorted to the stables and mounted on their ostrich-horses and left the safety of the city walls.

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**_A while down the road.._**

"Hey Li, why are you here?"

Zuko glanced over at the boy, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if you're from the Fire Nation, why are you here? Did your mom move you out here too?"

"No," he replied quietly, turning his head away.

"How'd you get that scar? Did someone hurt you?"

Katara, who was riding the ostrich-horse with Alec, shushed him. "He doesn't like to talk about it."

Another moment of silence passed before Alec spoke up again. "I know who you really are, you know."

"Do you?" Zuko asked dully, not looking up.

"You're their prince. The Banished Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. That's what the posters say, right?"

"You're too smart for you own good, you know that kid?"

"That's what my mom says. I had to grow up fast so I could help her. I understand why we can't firebend out in the open too. I know how the people in the Earth Kingdom feel about firebenders and all people from the Fire Nation. It hurts to hear the kids in my class talk badly about them because I'm one of them. If I let it slip, I wouldn't have any more friends. And _you_, they'd just capture you and your uncle. As much as I love the nation I'm from, it really is a shameful thing to admit. They had no right to start the war we're in and if I had any say in it, it would be over. Maybe then I could see my daddy again."

"Then you understand why I turned against my nation by helping the Avatar, right?"

"Yeah, I do. I wish I could help, but I'm still too young to do anything. I know the risks that come with your jobs. You're all brave for facing that kind of danger, even at your ages. Your uncle, I understand. I know he's the great general that lead the attack on Ba Sing Sei and he's old enough to face the risks, but you guys are still teenagers."

Zuko finally raised his eyes to look at the boy. "We're the teenagers that are going to stop this war, I promise. You'll get to see your dad soon, and so will I."

Alec grinned and nodded wildly. "So.. what's the Fire Palace like? Is it anything like the one we just left?"

"It's actually pretty similar, except a little more red," Zuko explained. "There was a big garden outside that had a fountain and my mom and I used to feed the turtle ducks there. My sister used to make me play with her and her friends and I hated it. They would always find some way to humiliate me."

_Mom, can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game!_

_I am **not** cartwheeling._

_You won't have to. Cartwheeling's not a game, dumdum._

_I don't care. I don't wanna play with you._

_We **are** brother and sister. It's important for us to spend time together, don't you think so Mom?_

"I wish I had a sister," Alec said, bringing Zuko back from his stupid memories.

"Me too," Katara added. "Sokka's a great brother, but sometimes he can just be so.. _sexist_."

"What's that mean?" Alec asked, turning around slightly to see her.

"It's like saying that I can't fight because I'm a girl and I should only clean and cook. It's a type of discrimination. Do you know what that is?" He shook his head. "It's when you judge someone by where they're from or what they bend or what gender they are. Like you and Zuko, people would automatically think you're out to kill them if they knew you were from the Fire Nation."

"I think I understand," he said. "Like people thinking all firebenders are evil, right?"

"Exactly." She hugged him around the neck and he made a noise like he was being choked. "You faker," she giggled as she tickled him.

"Stop!" he laughed. "Stop, it hurts!"

She kept tickling him and he kept laughing. Zuko couldn't help but crack a smile at the sight. If they ever got serious enough, he knew she would be a perfect mother. Watching them reminded him of his own mother and for some reason, it didn't make him sad like he thought it would. He wasn't happy, but he wasn't upset either.

"Zuko, are you still with us?"

He blinked and shook his head. "Yeah, I was- I'm fine. Just thinking.."

"I wonder what happened to Ty Lee. Do you think Azula did anything to her?"

"Probably not. She can't afford to lose any member of her little team and she'll make sure they stay together."

"I hope she's okay, she was sweet when she was with us. And she kind of kept Sokka's mind off me for a bit."

Zuko half-smiled, his attention still drawn to his thoughts. Katara noticed this and they all rode in silence until they got to the town that evening. Alec directed them to his house to find it empty, but he wasn't surprised. He dismounted and ran into the house, the two teens right behind him.

"It's not completely burnt down at least," he said quietly as he walked through the small house. He continued through to the back door and into the backyard. "Mom! Mom, are you out here?"

Silence.

Zuko lit his hand up and Alec followed his example. They used the light from their flames to see around them in case there was a clue or something to where she was. Katara walked around and tripped over something, landing her on her face in the dirt with an '_oomph_!'. She spit the dirt out of her mouth and happened to find what they were looking for. Her eyes widened in realization and she scrambled up to join her boys before they found what she found.

"Um, boys, let's go inside."

"Are you okay? Did you find something?" Zuko asked, then stopped right before he got to her and looked away. "Oh.. um, yeah Alec, let's go back in."

Alec looked up to them hopefully. He caught a glimpse of something behind Katara and knew what was going on, but refused to let himself cry. He knew what had to happen next and accepted it. "Okay," he whispered, desperately fighting back the urge to break down and cry.

Katara placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged her off and walked back inside. The two teens looked at each other before following him in. They found him in what they assumed was his room, packing some of his own things in a small bag.

"This is the bag my mom packed my stuff in when we left the Fire Nation," he said as he pulled the gold drawstring on the red bag to close it. "I guess it's a good thing she kept it, huh?"

"Alec.." Katara started.

He held his small hand up to stop her. "I'm okay, really. Part of me was expecting it. I'm just glad they already got justice served to them. Can we go ahead and leave?"

"We may have to stay here tonight to give ourselves and the ostrich-horses a break. We've been riding all day."

"I just want to leave," he replied coldly.

Katara stepped back and nodded. He was nothing like the kids his age back at the South Pole. He was smarter and much more grown up inside and had the same cold tone that Katara had once associated with all firebenders. She was worried for his mental well-being, but she promised herself that she would take his mind off of everything and make him act like the child he's supposed to be once he got settled back into the palace.

"We'll have to stop and make camp somewhere unless you want the ostrich-horses to fall asleep while we're riding," Zuko pointed out.

"It's fine, I just.. don't want to be _here_ anymore." He brushed past them both and slipped out the front door to get ready to leave.

"We should get going," Katara whispered, walking past Zuko and grabbing his hand to pull him along. She stopped suddenly before they reached the front door and Zuko ran into her. She whipped around and held a finger to her lips, indicating for him to be quiet.

"What is it?" he mouthed.

"I hear something out there."

"It's just Alec and the animals, let's go."

"_No_!" she hissed.

She strained her ears and could hear more than one voice. The familiar voice of Alec was there, but there was a female voice with it. She put her hand on her swords and Zuko grew nervous and did the same. Katara held up her fingers and counted down.

5...4...3...2...1

The door flew open and the two teens ran out, swords drawn, only to face a somewhat unexpected sight.

"Oh, come now brother. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your new little friend now would you?"

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**Dun dun duuunnnn! hehe I love doing that. Poor Alec! I feel horrible for killing his mom, but I wanted him to stay with the group. Ooh, I'm excited to write the next chapter. Maybe I'll let him help a little in the upcoming fight, I'm not quite sure yet. Yay! You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	20. Chapter 20

_Sooo sorry about the uber long update (for me, anyway) but I've been on bedrest from some kind of freaky virus that's going around. Be proud that I got most of it done before I got sick and I just finished it yesterday when they let me get up. I had my little sister check my emails and I'm thankful for my reviews! I updated my profile a little and now I have links to some pictures of my precious "future author" daughter. After you read this, go check them out!_

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"Come on, Twinkle Toes! Move it, move it, _move it_!"

"Toph, I'm tired!"

"It's not time to rest yet, now move it!"

Aang punched out and sent the rock flying across the courtyard, landing near the observant king. He straightened up from his stance and the king applauded.

"Now can I rest?"

"One more excercize and I'll think about it," she smirked.

Aang sighed and got back into his stance. Toph threw boulder after boulder at him and he stood his ground as they crumbled around him except for the last one, which threw him against the wall seperating the courtyard from the northern garden. He jumped up quickly and dodged another boulder and sent one of his own that she easily broke into a billion pieces. Their practice session stopped when Sokka and Iroh came out there.

"Shouldn't they be back by now?" Sokka asked. "It should only take a day to get there and they left yesterday morning. Now the sun is setting and they're still not back."

"Don't worry, Sokka," Aang said, wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve. "I'm sure they'll be back sometime tonight."

Iroh shook his head and tucked his hands in his sleeves. "Sokka's right, they should've been back by now. Even if they did sleep there, they would've set off early this morning and been here an hour ago."

"Do you think something happened to them? Should we go after them?"

Momo screeched on Iroh's shoulder as a soldier ran up to the king, who was making his way to the Avatar's group, carrying a small figure in his arms. Aang ran up to them and immediately recognized the limp body of Alec.

"Is he..?"

"No, he's alive," the soldier said. "We found him just now tied to the back of an ostrich-horse outside the walls. This was sticking out of his pocket."

The soldier handed Aang a small piece of parchment and he quickly opened up and read it. His face dropped even more and he walked back to his friends. The king whispered something to the soldier and he ran off with the boy still in his arms.

"Guys," Aang started fearfully. "Alec's hurt and they have Katara and Zu- er, _Li_." He handed the letter to Iroh and he read it with shaking hands.

_Avatar-_

_I have your friend, the waterbender. If you wish for her freedom, you'll turn yourself over to me without a fight. My brother, on the other hand, will not be released. I will come for my uncle in time, but for now, you and my brother will do fine._

_I merely spared the boy to deliver the message, though I don't see how he's tied to you, but it depends on you whether or not your friend is spared. Both of them are being kept unconcious so they can't fight back and it won't take much to kill them._

_You have until tomorrow to make your decision. Until then, you know where I am._

_Princess Azula_

Sokka's grip on his swords was turning his knuckles white and he felt as if he was about to break them. "We're going after them. Both of them."

"Do you know where they are?" the king asked, coming up behind them.

"At the town."

"If you want, I can send a group of my best soldiers with you."

Aang's sad gray eyes looked upon the king when he said that. "I'm not sure if that'll help, but okay. Thanks."

He looked over the group once more, eyes settling on Iroh for a few seconds, before leaving them to send out the order.

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"I'll watch over them so I can keep them unconcious."

"Okay, I'll stand guard outside in case he comes."

"I guess I'm the one going to get breakfast?"

"I guess so."

Mai rolled her eyes and walked out the door, leaving the other two behind. Ty Lee walked in the other room and sat on the floor beside the two unconcious benders while Azula stood outside the front door with her arms crossed over her chest.

Ty Lee noticed Katara starting to stir and looked up to make sure Azula was still outside. "Katara," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry I had to do that. Azula's making me keep you guys unconcious until Aang gets here so you can't fight back."

Katara blinked and her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. She was laying in the floor of Alec's house. Zuko was next to her, still out cold. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what had happened the night before.

_"Oh, come now brother. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your new little friend now would you?"_

_"Let him go, Azula," Zuko growled. Azula had a familiar dagger at his throat and there was a small trace of blood running down the boy's neck. "And I want my knife back."_

_"Who's going to make me? Mom?"_

_Whoa, deja-vu.._

_Katara gripped her swords tighter and hardened her stance, glaring fiercely at the ebony-haired girl before her. Azula smirked at her and Katara noticed her glance off to the side. She turned just in time to block the swirl of pink that was coming at her._

_"I wouldn't fight back unless you want the boy to die tonight," Azula called over Alec's scream. Azula's knife was digging further into his throat and she could see the blood staining the neck of his shirt._

_Katara felt the hot tears rush to her eyes as she dropped her swords, letting Ty Lee knock her unconcious._

"I- is Alec okay?" she whispered.

"The little boy? Yeah, he's fine. I convinced Azula to send him back to the city with a letter to Aang about you guys."

"Thanks. Where are our weapons?"

Ty Lee glanced up again to make sure Azula was still outside, then pointed just outside the room. "They're right out there."

"So what exactly is going on?"

Ty Lee sighed, "Azula wants Aang to turn himself over to her without a fight and she'll let you go. She told him that we're keeping you guys unconcious so it wouldn't be hard to kill you if he decided to fight for you."

"What about Zuko?" she asked quietly, looking down at his sleeping figure.

"He's going back to the Fire Nation with us."

"Promise me something. If Aang does rescue us, you have to come back to Ba Sing Sei with us. They didn't last a 600-day attack for nothing, you'll be more than safe there."

"I-I don't know. Maybe."

"And I'm sure my brother would be happy to see you again. He's been.. well, pretty much miserable since we last saw you."

She smiled and rubbed her arm nervously. "I'll try. Oh, hurry, pass out!" she hissed. "Azula's coming back."

Katara's eyes closed instantly and she evened her breath out, feigning sleep. She could hear Azula's footsteps coming closer. "I hope he hurries, this is boring."

"I hope Mai hurries, I'm hungry," Ty Lee giggled.

"She'll hurry as long as Zuko is still here," Azula smirked. "I'm sure even after all these years, she still has a crush on him."

Katara had to fight every inch of herself to keep still, but reminded herself that Zuko was with _her_ and not Mai. Her internal battle came to a halt and she continued to listen to their conversation.

"I'm pretty sure she said something the other day about him being cuter with the short hair."

"He lost whatever honor he had left when he cut his ponytail off. My brother always was stupid."

"But he has gotten stronger since then," her friend reminded her. "I may not like him much, but even I have to admit that."

"True, but he's still nowhere near my power." Azula turned her head back towards the front door. "I think someone's coming."

Katara listened to the fading footsteps of Azula, soon followed by the bored voice of the girl who liked her boyfriend. "There was only one shop open because the others are being rebuilt. Apparently they were all burnt down. I hope this is okay."

"I can't wait to get back to the palace, this peasant food is disgusting. I suppose it will have to do for now."

Azula tossed a small brown bag to Ty Lee and she opened it up to reveal a hot sandwich. "Mmm, this looks good!"

"I suppose you're used to this kind of stuff working at a circus?"

"Well, it's not exactly the same, but close."

When they all finished eating, Azula took her post back at the front door and Mai sat with Ty Lee to watch their prisoners. Every once in a while, she would glance at the waterbender, but her eyes mainly focused on Zuko.

"You still like him, don't you Mai?" Ty Lee teased. Mai turned away and blushed faintly. "I'll take that as a yes. I guess you wouldn't be too happy to know that he's taken, huh?"

Katara fought back a smile. She knew what Ty Lee was doing. Mai looked at her pink-clad friend, something unreadable in her gray eyes. "Taken?"

Ty Lee nodded towards the two on the floor. "I found out after we found them back when Aan- the _Avatar_ had me. It didn't surprise me much though. She is pretty, but it was odd because of the whole 'opposite elements' thing."

"That's nice," Mai mumbled. Jealousy and anger boiled inside the calm-faced girl. Now she hated the waterbender even more.

"Here he comes!"

Katara's heart jumped at the sound of Azula's voice. She knew who she was talking about, but had to keep still. She could hear Aang landing and walking across the small porch and faintly made out voices.

"Mai, Ty Lee, bring the girl," Azula commanded.

Ty Lee grabbed Katara's wrists and Mai grabbed her feet. When Katara assumed they were out in the hall, she pulled her feet up and kicked out, knocking Mai back against a wall. Ty Lee dropped her and she jumped up and grabbed her swords from the floor. She ran at Azula, dodging blue flames, and swung at her. She barely caught Azula's upper arm as she jumped out the door to greet Aang. Aang motioned behind him and all her friends plus a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers came from all around them.

Azula's eyes widened momentarily, but shook it off so no one would see her shock. Blue flames shot everywhere as she tried to drive back the oncoming earthbenders. She looked back over her shoulder to see Mai was already battling more soldiers coming in through the back door. Anger flared up inside her when she didn't see Ty Lee anywhere. When she turned back, she quickly ducked to dodge a fireball coming from.. the Avatar?

"Bet you didn't count on that, did you?" Aang mocked.

Azula growled and shot her own blue flames at the boy and ducked a boulder coming at her head from one of the soldiers. Something wizzed past her ear and she held back a scream before turning on Mai, but she was nowhere to be found. Azula panicked if only for a second before running completely out of the house and into the battle. Katara's swords swung past her face as she ran back into the house to get Zuko. Azula thought quickly and her blue flames were shot out, setting the house on fire with Katara and her own brother still inside.

"Katara!" Sokka shouted as he tried to run in the house, but was stopped by the collapse of the front door and Iroh's hand on his arm.

Aang turned on Azula, but she had disappeared while everyone's attention was drawn to the fire and their precious friends. He turned back to help Iroh hold Sokka back from running into the inferno. As soon as Sokka squirmed free and took off again, the roof collapsed. Iroh squeezed his eyes closed and looked away as Sokka and Aang's simultanious screams were heard through the entire town. Ty Lee reappeared from the back of the house to comfort Sokka, but he jerked away from her violently and stormed off into the nearby forest, tears falling freely from his deep blue eyes.

Aang fell to his knees and watched the orange flames dance about the collapsed home, letting the mere shock of it all soak in. He couldn't cry, he tried, but just couldn't. Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder and Aang looked up at him, seeing his old eyes brimming with tears. They had lost their family, their best friends, a piece of the hope they had of restoring the world back to the way it should be. At that moment, Aang hated everything and everyone. He deeply wanted revenge. Iroh felt the wind pick up and his eyes moved back down to the boy, whose tattoos were glowing. The Avatar State. He stepped back, unsure of what to do. They said Katara had been the only one to ever bring him out of it and now she wasn't here to stop it.

As the boy lifted up from the ground, the soldier earthbenders around him took off down the road back to the city. Ty Lee held her hand in front of her face to keep the wind out of her eyes and tried to crawl her way up to the young Avatar. A sudden giant gust of wind knocked everyone around him back except for Toph, who was held in the earth by her feet. She pulled up an earth sheild and moved her feet along through the ground towards where she thought Aang was.

"Aang!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Aang, stop it _please_! This isn't helping anyone!"

Aang's head turned sharply to look down at who spoke to him. He saw the earthbender girl and the part of him that was overpowered by the Avatar state yelled out for it to stop. Toph was struggling to keep her balance even with her earthen reinforcement. He slowly started to descend and the wind was going down a little. Toph was reaching up blindly (literally) for his hand and when she found it, she pulled him close and held him until the wind was gone like she had "seen" Katara do.

"I'm sorry, Toph. I promised myself I wouldn't do that again and it happened anyway. It's just so-"

"Aang, it's okay. I probably would've done the same thing," she said, trying to comfort him.

"I need water!"

Toph, Aang, Iroh, and Ty Lee all looked up at the same time towards the burning house, which was now slowly dying down. Ty Lee was the first to start running towards the voice, soon followed by the other three. A couple of the soldiers that had stayed chased after them. Ty Lee almost squealed in joy when she saw Katara and Zuko on the ground behind the house. Katara had severe burns on her arms and her left leg and the still unconcious Zuko had one giant burn across his torso along with a gash in his right upper arm.

"I need water!" she called again when she saw her friends. Instantly, Aang's staff flew open and he took off with his waterskin to fetch the water. Ty Lee kneeled on the other side of Zuko and gave Katara an apologetic smile, which Katara returned. She winced as the pain in her arms throbbed. Toph watched them for a minute feeling useless before remembering that Sokka was still missing. She ran past Iroh to go find him in the woods while Iroh's tears of grief were turned into tears of joy. He approached the two girls kneeling around his nephew and watched as they made his limp body a bit more comfortable looking and started looking at his wounds.

Aang returned a minute later with a full waterskin and handed it to Katara, who bended it out into a glove around her hand. She placed the cool water on Zuko's burn and Iroh watched in fascination as it glowed and the injury disappeared under her hand. She repeated the process on his arm and her own injuries.

"Is he going to be okay?" Iroh asked, kneeling beside the girls and his nephew.

"Yeah, he'll be fine now," Katara replied, smiling.

Ty Lee looked around curiously. "Where are Mai and Azula?"

"Azula disappeared and I think I saw a few of the soldiers with Mai," Aang spoke up from behind them. "She was tied up and being disarmed."

"So she's probably on her way back to Ba Sing Sei, right?"

"Yeah, which is where we need to be heading to right about now."

Ty Lee nodded and she and Katara picked up Zuko to put him on one of the ostrich-horses. Aang pulled out his bison whistle and blew it, bringing Appa out to them with Sokka and Toph on the back. Sokka's eyes were still red and wet with tears and Toph was trying to calm him down. When he finally looked up and saw his baby sister alive, he jumped up and tackled her in a platypus-bear hug. Luckily she had already gotten Zuko settled on the ostrich-horse.

"I thought you were dead," he sobbed into her shoulder. All she could do was lay there on the ground and try to catch her breath while comforting her older brother.

"I will be if you don't get off my chest," she giggled, finally getting her breath back.

Sokka silently apologized and helped her up, wiping his eyes on his sleeves and trying to look tough once more. Unfortunately for him, he lost his tough look when Ty Lee found her way over to him.

Katara mounted the ostrich-horse they had put Zuko on and looked back over at the group. "Come on, let's go."

Sokka and Ty Lee mounted another ostrich-horse while Iroh, Aang, Toph, and the couple remaining soldiers climbed up on Appa. Katara nodded to Aang and they all took off back towards the city, Aang flying on ahead of the two couples. Ty Lee was hugging Sokka tightly around the waist and had her head laying on his back. Katara had adjusted Zuko to about the same position.

"I hope we find those other soldiers around here soon. If we were ambushed for some reason, I don't think the three of us could do much to them and protect Zuko at the same time," Katara said quietly.

"I could handle them," Ty Lee told her. "Nothing big, just block their chi and they can hardly move and/or bend."

Katara laughed a little. "I remember."

"It's funny you should mention an ambush, _dollface_," said an all too familiar voice from the trees beside them. "I told you I'd see you again."

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And here's another piece of work from the ever-improving new author that is my daughter.

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**Sorry to leave you with another cliffy, but I had to put "him" back in there somewhere and I figured that would be a pretty good place. Well, this was actually a pretty good chapter and I ended it pretty good for someone who's still coughing her lungs out. I expect mucho reviews and at least one 'Get well soon' from whoever actually read the author's notes lol. Here's where I would normally say "You know the routine, R&R!" but I wanted to add a "Go to my profile and check out my baby author's pics!" Yay!**

**Jenn**


	21. Chapter 21

_Sorry my updates are getting longer, I've been busy with my baby, a somewhat original story I'm writing now, my super huge 21st birthday party next summer, and my father-in-law has cancer and may die anytime so I've been spending time with him too. Anyway, I just posted some drabbles I did and I seriously want you to check them out. The link is, obviously, in my profile. The first one will make you cry. Well, here's the long awaited next chapter in my ever-growing popular story._

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"It's funny you should mention an ambush, dollface," said an all too familiar voice from the trees beside them. "I told you I'd see you again."

Katara kicked her ostrich-horse into a gallop, Sokka following her example, but they were both soon stopped when Pipsqueak jumped out in front of them. Katara tried to go around quickly but he grabbed the reins and the ostrich-horse jumped back, knocking Zuko's still unconcious body off onto the ground. Jet sauntered over to his body and carefully placed one of his hooked swords under his chin to tilt his face up so he could see it.

"Jet, don't you dare touch him," Katara growled dangerously. "We've had enough crap today as it is and trust me, you don't want to mess with us today."

"Oh, but surely the Katara I know wouldn't really hurt me," he taunted, kneeling down beside Zuko to get a better look at his face.

"Maybe she wasn't talking about just her," Ty Lee said, narrowing her eyes at the messy-haired boy. Sokka tightened his grip on her hands that were still around his waist.

Jet's eyes lifted to meet the girl in pink. He noticed Sokka half turn on their ostrich-horse to glare at him. Katara jumped down and walked up to Jet and Zuko. "I'll even do you a favor and warn you again. Don't. Touch. Him." She roughly kicked his hand away and he pulled it back and glared at her.

Sokka dismounted as well, helping his Ty Lee down, and readied his swords. Ty Lee smiled at him before backflipping into the trees. Jet watched her and asked, "Where's she going?"

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not since you're still here," he smirked, finally standing back up. "What happened to your other friends? Did you finally leave them?"

"My friends are none of your business," she spat.

"You're right. You are."

Katara's eyes widened as Jet advanced on her. He pulled out his swords to knock Sokka's away when he tried to protect his sister. Katara uncorked her waterskin quickly and just before Jet grabbed her, she used her water to knock him away. He landed right on top of Zuko with a grunt and was startled when he started to stir. She looked to her brother, who was now being held back by Pipsqueak. Her eyes quickly moved back to Jet when he whistled the ever-so-familiar whistle.

"You aren't getting away from me this time, Katara."

"I think we can change that," Zuko said, now fully awake at the mention of his girlfriend's name. Jet was already standing again, so Zuko grabbed his feet and pulled them out from under him, causing him to land on his face and lose that stupid piece of grass he always chews on. The two boys swiftly jumped to their feet, Zuko with his broadswords now drawn and Jet with his hook swords.

Something caught Katara's eye off to the side and she looked to see Ty Lee trying to block Pipsqueak's chi, but having a fair amount of trouble. He was still holding Sokka to him with one arm and in one swift move, had Ty Lee hanging by her arms in his free hand. She was on her way to help when the sound of clashing metal reached her ears. She didn't turn around to help, but instead continued on her way to help her brother and friend. Her swords drawn and water ready, she would use both to break her friend loose, but she was stopped. Her hand unconciously brought an ice shield up to one side and surprised her when it caught an arrow from Longshot. She was about to do more damage when someone jumped down in front of her.

"Where do you think you're going, princess? I'm pretty sure Jet wanted you."

"Smellerbee, move. I need to help my friends. I don't want to hurt you guys."

"And girl," Smellerbee corrected, brushing her hair back from her eyes. "And you know I can't do that. Orders from Jet."

"Why us though? You're the Freedom Fighters and you're supposed to be fighting Fire Nation, not the world's only hope for peace," Katara said, dodging a blow from the tomboy. "Speaking of, where is the rest of your crew?"

Smellerbee dodged Katara's water whip trailing from her sword tip and replied, "Fire Nation. Jet just wants you, not your friends. Don't ask why, I have no idea. It may be a revenge thing. He was stuck to that tree for a day before we found him. I have to admit, it was pretty funny though."

Katara screamed as she was picked up by her waist and carried off. Her water and one of her swords fell to the ground and she looked back at the battle. Ty Lee had finally squirmed free and was trying once again to free Sokka. Longshot and Smellerbee were staring after her and her captor, whoever he was, she couldn't see but had an idea when she saw Zuko standing up and running after them, holding his head.

"Let me go!" she screamed as she kicked her captor's shins, making both of them fall painfully to the ground. He jumped back up quickly and threw her over his shoulder and continued running so Zuko couldn't catch them. It was then that Katara realized she still had a sword in her hand. She turned it sideways and brought it across his lower back, almost instantly staining his clothes red at the bottom. He hissed in pain, but didn't stop running. She noticed it slowed him down some though, enough for Zuko to finally catch them.

He grabbed Katara's hands and put his foot in Jet's bloody back, pulling Katara to him and knocking Jet to the ground. He landed with an "_oomph_!" as Zuko and Katara ran back to help Sokka and Ty Lee, but they were already free. Just then, a few of the runaway soldiers came to the rescue. Katara turned back but Jet was already gone, leaving only a trace of blood in the middle of the dirt road.

"They got away," she whispered to Zuko.

"I wonder why they're after you."

"Probably revenge for leaving him frozen to a tree for a whole day. He seemed pretty interested in finding out who you were though. Maybe a jealousy thing, maybe a "familiar face" thing, who knows with him."

One of the soldiers ran up to them. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Katara replied wearily.

"Y-you're bleeding," he pointed to her leg. "And pretty badly too."

"Wow, no wonder my leg was hurting. Do you have any water? I can heal this right up."

The soldier merely stared at the bloody mess that was her leg, then passed out. Zuko chuckled silently. "I guess he's got a weak stomach."

"Oh, no, that's okay. I can get the water myself," she said sarcastically to the limp young soldier on the ground. "Please, don't get up." She stepped over him and walked as casually as she could back to the ostrich-horse, where there was another waterskin strapped to it that she'd somehow forgotten about.

"Katara, what happened to your leg!" Sokka yelled, running to her. "Who did it? I'll kill them!"

Katara sighed and shook her head as she bended the water glove on. "Sokka, it's not that bad. Look, it's healing. See? All better."

"Wow, that big guy was hard to bring down," Ty Lee told them as she approached and clung to Sokka's arm. "None of my hits really did anything to him. Maybe he was just too big or something. It was weird."

"Or maybe you're losing your touch," Sokka joked.

"Shut up!" she squealed, playfully punching him on the shoulder.

Katara glanced around in the trees warily. "Where'd they go?"

Sokka just shrugged. "Who knows and who cares. Maybe they heard the soldiers coming and just ran off or something. Anyway, we need to hurry and get back to the safety of the city."

"Aw, is my big brother scared of the big bad forest at night?" Katara teased in a mocking baby tone that he hated.

"No! I'm not afraid of anything! I could take on anything that comes my- **AH**!"

"Anything, huh?" Zuko smirked, pulling his sword back out of the dirt where he had planted it right next to Sokka's foot. "If you would stop blathering on, you would've been able to hear me coming up behind you. It seems your sister's warrior instincts are better trained than yours already. Let's go."

He jumped on their ostrich-horse, helping Katara up behind him. She was relieved that he would be doing most of the driving now so that she could just lay on his back with her arms around his waist, listening to the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat. Ty Lee and Sokka mounted the other one and they started off down the road again with the few soldiers that had seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. Katara patted her leg when they passed the soldier that had passed out just a little while before. He nodded to her, but looked away quickly as if he were remembering all the blood.

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"I'm sure they are fine, they are all capable warriors and they have the soldiers with them." _I hope._

"But what if they were ambushed!"

"Who would ambush the Avatar's teachers and Earth Kingdom soldiers?"

"I don't know, but it could still happen!"

"You aren't supposed to be the one to worry, young Avatar. That's supposed to be my job. My nephew and future niece-in-law, hopefully, are out there, remember?"

Aang had been pacing his room since a couple hours after they got back on Appa. He knew they would be back before the rest of their group, but he still couldn't help but worry. Toph had tried to encase him in rock, but he was now able to get out of it. She just stopped trying after the 5th time. She watched him walk back and forth for another minute before she said something.

"Let's go out and do something, that'll get your mind off of worrying about them."

Aang stopped and promptly fell on his bed next to Toph. "What are we supposed to do?" he asked, his voice muffled by the comforter.

"We could.. go find costumes for the masquerade ball in a couple days. I'm sure Alec needs something to wear."

Aang lifted his head to look at Toph. He let his hand travel to find hers and he squeezed it gently. "Thanks, Toph."

"Come on, let's go!" Alec yelled from Iroh's lap. He jumped up and ran to the door waiting for the others to follow. When they didn't get up immediately, he ran back to Iroh and started tugging on his arm to make him stand up.

"Whoa, calm down young one. We have time," he chuckled, pulling Alec back into his lap.

Aang airbended himself back to his feet. "No, he's right. We should go. The sooner we leave to go do that, the sooner we'll stop thinking about all the scenarios they could've gotten themselves into."

"Okay then, let's go," Iroh said, standing up. He followed the others out the door, looking out the hallway window towards the city wall as he passed it. _Please hurry._

_Out in the city..._

"Hey, this mask is cool."

Alec had been going through masks on a small cart. Iroh wasn't so sure he wanted to go to the ball until he found a green mask he found "intriguing". He claimed the women would love it for sure. Aang just laughed and shook his head as he helped Toph look for a good mask.

"What about you, Aang? Aren't you getting one?" Iroh asked him.

"I already have one from the Fire Festival. I can just use that one."

"When did you go to a Fire Festival?"

"Oh, it was back in the winter. That was when I met Jeong Jeong. Yeah, that was a _long_ time ago."

Iroh sighed. "I haven't been to one of those in years."

"Do you think the Blue Spirit will show up at the ball?" Toph asked suddenly, a smirk hiding behind her bangs.

Aang looked up from some dress robes he'd been looking at. "Oh, I'm sure he will."

Iroh and Alec looked at each other. "Do you get the feeling we're being left out of something here?" Iroh asked.

"Yep."

"I'm getting these," Aang stated, folding up the deep blue robes. "I need something other than my usual yellow and red to go to something formal like this. They'll go good with my mask too."

"Have you found a decent mask for me yet, Twinkle Toes?"

"Maybe you can wear Katara's," he suggested. "I think she was talking about getting a new one. Plus, I haven't found any out here that do you justice."

Toph blushed fiercely and punched him playfully in the shoulder. He giggled and took her hand in his, folding their fingers together. Right then, a couple soldiers ran past the shop they'd wandered in. Aang caught a piece of a conversation between them.

"Hey guys, we should go to the wall. I think something's happening."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

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"I am so tired it's not even funny," Katara yawned.

Zuko snorted in front of her. "Then go to sleep, it's not that hard."

"Yeah," Ty Lee giggled beside them. "Sokka's not having any trouble at all getting to sleep, and he's the one driving this thing!"

Sokka jerked his chin off his chest and squinted his eyes to see ahead of them. Now they were being escorted by the soldiers. They didn't want to take anymore chances of being attacked by Jet and his little band of merry men.. and a girl. Katara smirked. She never would've guessed that about Smellerbee. She just.. didn't look like a girl. She briefly wondered what she looked like with a dress and make-up on. She watched as her brother's head slowly fell back to his chest and their ostrich-horse was steered slightly off-course. Ty Lee reached in front of him and took the reins, steering them back onto the dirt road. His head jerked up again and his eyes blinked back sleep.

"I'm not sleeping," Sokka mumbled. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes and Ty Lee giggled again.

"Do you want me to steer for a little while?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need something to eat."

Katara sighed. "Of course, because food always makes you feel better, right Sokka?"

"Exactly- hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're completely useless without food."

"Hey!"

"Here, we still have something."

She looked through the saddle bag and tossed her brother some of the jerky they had. Respectful to his new girlfriend, he ate it a bit less savagely than normal, but no one could deny him his Sokka-ness as he still scarfed it down. Katara rolled her eyes and laid her head against Zuko's back, letting her eyes close and the rhythm of the ostrich-horse's stride loll her to sleep. Zuko smiled to himself as the sound of her steady breathing reached his ears. They all traveled in silence for a few minutes before Ty Lee spoke up suddenly.

"Hey, what's that?"

"What's what?"

"That noise up there," she said sternly, pointing ahead of them. They were coming over a hill and could make out the top of the wall surrounding the Earth Kingdom stronghold. The soldiers around them could hear yelling and started running towards all the commotion, leaving the four teens to themselves.

"Katara, wake up," Zuko whispered, shaking her leg gently.

"Hmm?" She drowsily lifted her head and looked around. They stopped on top of the hill and gasped at what they saw below, just before the wall of their new home. They all gaped at the sight and whispered one word under their breaths:

"_No_.."

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**I'm really sorry about the cliffhanger again, apparently they're what I'm best at. The sad thing is that I wasn't even sure what they saw until after I wrote this. It was odd.. but yeah, sorry again about the cliffhanger. I promise the next chapter won't be, for the sake of my fans. I'm sure you're about tired of them by now. Anyway, if you have time you really need to check out my drabbles. Woohoo! You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	22. Chapter 22

_This chapter came out faster than I had time to really think about it, so I figured I owed it to you guys to update quickly. Thanks alot for all the reviews I got, by the way. You guys rock! And I just want to say a quick hello to all the new fans/reviewers I've gotten recently. (waves)_

**Warning:** This is a very sad chapter, so be prepared to lose a loved one.

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"Aang, what's going on? There are a lot of vibrations coming from everywhere, it's hard to see!"

"The Fire Nation is attacking the city!"

"With what, a giant tank?"

They worked their way up the wall to find it covered in soldiers scrambling around trying to get orders. Some of them were throwing boulders down on whatever was attacking them and Aang peered over the edge to see.

"No, it's a giant drill. They're going to drill their way into the city! Come on, we have to stop them!"

"How? We don't have the others, I don't think we can make much of a difference without them."

"We have to try. They should be here soon anyway, let's go."

Iroh had Alec sit on the far side of the wall so he could help the other two benders. "But I can help!" he argued, but to no avail. Iroh gave him a stern look before he, Aang, and Toph slid down the other side of the wall on a slab of rock. Alec watched all the soldiers running around frantically and folded his knees to his chest, trying to think of a way to help.

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"What is that?" Ty Lee asked, trying to ease the uncomfortable silence that had settled over them.

Katara snapped from her trance and squinted her eyes to see it better. "It looks like a giant drill.. and it's heading right for the wall. Guys, we have to do something."

Without warning, Zuko snapped the reins and sent the ostrich-horse into a flat-out gallop, almost sending Katara off the back. Sokka followed quickly behind and the boys ended up racing once again, only to meet the drill this time instead of pure sport. Sokka already knew who the drill belonged to, but when he caught the glimpse of the Fire Nation symbol on it he couldn't help but be angrier.

Katara looked up at the wall as they got closer and saw a small familiarity. "Look, there they are!"

"There who are?"

"Aang, Toph, and Iroh! They're coming down the wall!"

The boys pulled back on their animals as a barrage of attacks showered them all at once. There were fireballs flying everywhere from the tanks that guarded the drill, but they couldn't do anything to them yet. "We can't get close enough, what are we going to do?" Ty Lee yelled over the noise.

Katara looked at her brother, who in turn looked back at her. "What?"

"You're the idea guy, what do you have?"

"Since when am I the idea guy?"

"Really, Katara. Are you sure you have the right guy?" Zuko asked, truly confused by her accusation.

She sighed and shook her head. "Come on, Sokka! We could use that brilliant mind of yours that's buried under all your pig-headedness! Think of something! How can we get on that thing?"

Sokka's mind went to work as he carefully observed the situation. He watched as the drill made contact, then noticed something coming out the back of the drill. Surely they could make it back there without getting fired at, literally. "Okay guys, follow me."

He kicked the animal into motion and Zuko followed him around the tanks and to the back of the drill. Katara jumped down into the muck and grinned as she bent it up. "It's water-based, I can bend this."

"Good. I need you to plug it up. Don't let anymore of that stuff come out of there, got it?"

"Two steps ahead of you, brother," she said, already bending the sludge back into the machine.

"Ty Lee, you stay here and guard her. Protect her in case someone comes along so she doesn't have to stop bending. Zuko and I are going inside."

"How are we getting in there?" Zuko scoffed.

"We go under this thing," he told the older boy as he jumped down and joined his sister in the muck. Reluctantly, Zuko and Ty Lee did the same. Zuko grimaced as it splashed up on his pants. "Come on, let's go."

The boys moved quickly under the giant machine and jumped a little as it lurched forward. Zuko was looking around for an opening and looked back to see Sokka had disappeared. He looked around almost frantically for him when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Sokka inside an opening he'd somehow missed. He was helped up into the inner workings of the drill and Sokka set to work looking for something.

"What are you looking for?" Zuko hissed, trying not to make too much noise.

"An engineer," was his simple answer. Zuko lifted an eyebrow and briefly wondered why he'd followed this psycho to their certain death. Sokka thumped his head with his hand and pulled out his machete from its case on his leg. He swung it in front of him and sliced one of the pipes, immediately filling the room with steam.

"What was that for?"

"We need an engineer."

"Why?"

Sokka hushed him and motioned for him to get his swords ready. Zuko had no idea what was going on, but it seemed Sokka knew what he was doing after all and followed him reluctantly. A minute later, a big, mean-looking man with a mask made his way to the room. Zuko snuck up behind him and knocked up out with the butt of his sword while Sokka grabbed the plans from his pocket. They quickly ran somewhere where they could actually see and Sokka showed him what he'd gotten.

"These are the plans for the entire rig."

"Oh, that's why you needed the engineer. I guess you aren't as stupid as you look, huh?"

"Hilarious. Now look, we're currently in the inner mechanism right here," he pointed to the plan. "The inner mechanism and the outer shell here are connected by these beams. If we can cut through them, maybe the whole thing will collapse."

"And how do you expect us to cut through those?"

"Hey, I don't see you coming up with any brilliant plans."

Zuko shook his head and rubbed his temples. "Where's the Avatar when you need him?"

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"I'm over here!"

Iroh spun around just in time to see Aang get knocked over by an unsuspected someone.. who just happened to be his niece.

"Avatar, so glad you could join us. And Uncle, it's funny you're here protecting the city you once tried to destroy. Oh, how lives can change when you betray your country."

Had he not seen it before, Aang would've been afraid of the deadly look he took on at the sight of Azula. He watched as the two took stances and wondered if he should help, or even if she would attack him since her attention was now drawn to her uncle. He was more advanced than Zuko so he wasn't sure if she could handle taking both of them like she had with him and Zuko in that abandoned town.

"Aang, run!" Iroh yelled at him just as Azula turned to shoot her blue flames at him.

"What about you?"

"Just go, I can handle this!"

Aang hesitated, but was swayed when Azula's fingertips started sparkling. As soon as he jumped down, he heard the crackle of lightening and watched it fly into the sky over his head. He landed beside Toph, who was trying to use her earthbending to stop the thing, or at least slow it down some.

"I don't think it's working!" she yelled. "Go inside and see what damage you can do in there!"

"Aren't you coming?"

"No way, I can't bend in there! I'll stay out here and keep trying to slow it down some!"

Aang ran under the belly of the drill and found an opening immediately. He peeked in to make sure it was clear, then jumped inside. He ran around for a bit looking for anyone and ended up making his way to the beams connecting the outer shell. He stopped, hearing a noise somewhere off to his left, and swiftly moved up that way to see what it was.

"It's not working!"

"Yes it is, just keep swinging!"

"We need help!"

Aang floated up to see Sokka and Zuko swinging their swords at the beams. "Did someone ask for help?"

Sokka looked up and instantly felt relieved. "Aang, we need help cutting through these beams. Could you give us a hand?"

"Where's Katara? We could probably use waterbending to cut through."

"She's in the back stopping up the wall muck, but it's probably going to take more than that to take this thing down."

"Zuko, can't you use your firebending to heat up the beams and melt them? Or at least make them weak enough to move?"

"We could try it, but it was made by the Fire Nation and I don't think it'll help. They're probably heat-resistant," Zuko told them. He put his hands on the beam and a few seconds later it was glowing red, indicating it was heating up. _This might just work_, he thought to himself.

After another minute of that, Aang motioned for Zuko to back up and he jumped up quickly and delivered a strong blast of air at the beam before it cooled too much. To everyone's surprise, it moved. It worked. They quickly moved on to the next one and repeated the process.

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"You could always come quietly, Uncle."

"You know me better than that, Azula."

Her blue lightening was shot at him, but he redirected it into the sky. He could tell that she didn't expect that, she thought it was just a fluke when he did it back on her ship, but now she knew that he could do something that she couldn't and it infuriated her. He could redirect lightening. No one is supposed to be able to take her lightening like that!

Iroh smirked at her shocked reaction and took that opportunity to shoot a wave of fire at her. She put her hands up and parted it as she walked through. She figured lightening wasn't of much use anymore, so she stuck to her infamous blue fire. Fireball after fireball she threw at Iroh, even pulling a trick where she spun in the air and shot fire from her feet. He, despite being the old man he is, dodged with intense grace and speed, sending his own flames at his niece. One of her blasts skimmed his arm, but he didn't make a sound. Instead, he got angrier and conjured up his own blue flames, once again surprising Azula.

He started punching and kicking flames at her, one grazing her upper leg and another got her thigh. Azula hadn't had a decent challenger in a while, but this was maybe a little much for her. She wouldn't go down without a fight though, so she fought back with everything she had. She refused to be anything other than the best, she was a prodigy! She wouldn't let herself lose!

"It seems we're well matched, Uncle, but you will go down. Then I'll be one step closer to completing my mission. All I need now are my brother and the Avatar, both of which you know the whereabouts."

"But you'll have to beat me first!" Iroh furiously yelled as he lifted both of his hands and brought flames up underneath her. She jumped back quickly and let the blue flames seperate them momentarily. When they disappeared a few seconds later, he was gone. She growled in frustration and shot a handful of fire down on the drill.

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"Someone's coming, don't stop!"

"I can use one hand at least."

"Don't risk it, I can handle these people easily. Just keep bending that stuff in there."

Ty Lee disappeared just as a few soldiers came around the back of the drill. They noticed Katara and saw what she was doing. "You there, get away from the drill!"

Luckily they missed the pink swirl that was flying at them from behind. A few pokes and jabs later, they were on the ground. "I told you it'd be easy," she giggled. She froze, then turned quickly to block another soldier that had snuck up on her. She tried to block his chi, but he was quick and dodged each blow she tried to give. Katara used one hand and brough a stream of the mucky water to freeze the soldier in it, letting Ty Lee knock him out.

"And I told you I could help!" Ty Lee took her place back at Katara's side and watched for more people. "Man, I wish the boys would hurry in there. It's taking alot of energy out of me and I'm starting to get tired."

"If I could bend, I'd help you out."

"What are they doing in there?"

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"There, that should be enough. And I'm not just saying that to be lazy," Aang laughed.

The boys looked back at their work. They had 7 of the beams falling apart that they could see and Zuko was worn out from all the firebending. At one point, Sokka was helping by using his swords to cut through the softening metal, but he was afraid it would melt his swords so he stopped.

"Okay, you guys get back to the girls and I'll go to the top and deliver the final blow to knock the whole thing apart."

Sokka and Zuko nodded and took off back to where they'd come from to help out Ty Lee and Katara. They were sure that Katara was getting tired of bending all that stuff in there, so they wanted to hurry. Plus, it was probably about ready to blow and they didn't want to be inside when it did. They navigated their way back to the way they'd come in, only running into two guys along the way and easily knocking them out. They jumped down to the ground and started running towards the back. They could already see the pink and blue and ran even faster.

"AH!" Sokka yelled as he sunk into the ground up to his waist.

"What are you doing here, Snoozles?"

"Toph, let me go! We have to get back to the girls now! Aang's about to blow this thing!"

Toph's sightless eyes widened and she quickly pulled Sokka out and started running with them towards the back. When they were finally out from under the noisy machine, Ty Lee and Katara looked tired. They'd been attacked a couple times and were worn out. They looked almost relieved when they saw the boys and Toph.

"Where've you guys been? Do you know how hard it is to bend this much stuff for this long?" Katara practically yelled. Zuko was about to hug her as an apology, but Sokka caught his arm and shook his head.

"You don't want to do that, she's not in a good mood," he warned. "It'll only backfire. Trust me, I know."

"So, what's going on? Can I stop now or what?"

"Aang's about to deliver the final blow, then it should be all over."

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As he pulled himself out onto the top of the rig once more, he found himself facing Azula again. He sighed and ran right past her towards the wall, where the drill had finally gotten through. She shot her lightening at him, but he heard it before it got to him and he turned in time to redirect it.

Azula scolded herself. The Avatar already knew some firebending. She wasn't fast enough in getting to him. Her father would most definitely not be pleased.. but she had to wonder about that move. She'd never seen it anywhere before and she had trained with the best teachers her father could afford, which were the _best_ of the best. It almost looked like a waterbending move, but that couldn't be.. could it?

Boulders were still being thrown on the drill from the soldiers above on the wall. Aang whipped open his glider and flew up to the top of the wall and grabbed a boulder before it was thrown over. He carefully flattened it out, then practically surfed it over the edge. Using his airbending, he made the rock fall as fast and as hard as he could. The landing was rough and made the entire drill shake, even throwing the almighty Princess Azula off balance, but it had done its job and well. Suddenly, the drill started exploding with the mucky water that Katara had been stopping up and covered everyone outside of it.

In the back, Katara had everyone huddled up and both she and Toph bent the mud around them as it all exploded. Ty Lee and Sokka were cheering loudly for the downfall of the Fire Nation drill and Zuko just smiled and nodded his head to Aang as he floated down in front of them. Then he got the feeling they were missing someone. He looked around and realized who it was.

"Where's my uncle?"

Aang's worried gray eyes met his fierce golden ones. "I haven't seen him since we landed on the drill and Azula.." He trailed off, not wanting to voice his opinion.

"And Azula _what_?" Zuko asked in the evil tone of voice that had been so familiar to the group just months before.

"Um, maybe he got away?" Aang laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"As a matter of fact, I did," said the familiar old voice of said man. The group turned to see Iroh coming around the side of the busted drill, trekking through the mud. "But we need to be getting back before she finds us again, not that we couldn't all take her alone but we don't want her taking our young Ty Lee now, do we?"

"You're right, let's go," Sokka blurted out quickly, grabbing Ty Lee's hand and walking briskly around the drill. The others followed just as quickly, hoping they wouldn't run into the princess on their way back into their safe haven city. For this group, no such luck.

They all ducked as a wave of blue fire came at them, but it never reached its target. They slowly opened their eyes to see Azula on the ground beating out the flames on her clothes. No one knew what happened. They all knew she was too good to catch herself on fire, and none of them did it, so the only person left that could've done that..

"Hey guys!" At the same time, all of their eyes traveled to the top of the drill to see Alec standing there with a proud smile on his face. "Well, I thought I was too young to help but I guess I was wrong, huh?" he giggled.

Azula finally put her clothes out and jumped up, glaring at the boy. "I knew I shouldn't have spared your life, boy." Time seemed to slow down when sparks flew from her fingers as she prepared for a lightening strike on Alec. Iroh only had a split second to react. Her fingertips touched together. Iroh ran forward. Her hand shot out. Lightening left her fingers. He jumped in front of her. Iroh was shot back into the drill, a black scorch mark over his heart.

"_**NOOO**_!"

Zuko ran to his uncle, but Katara did something that no one expected her to do. She ran and tackled Azula to the ground. Of course, the princess was caught completely off guard because she was deciding on what to tell her father and what to do about her brother at his most vulnerable moment.

"Look what you did!" Katara yelled, grabbing Azula by the neck of her shirt and pointing to the limp body Zuko was now huddled over. "_Look!_ How could you _do_ that? How could you be so heartless to try to kill a 7-year old boy and hit your uncle, your own flesh and blood?" Tears were running freely down her cheeks and Azula couldn't do anything for the shock of the attack hadn't worn off. She was starting to feel something she'd never felt before: regret. Before she could respond, Katara punched her right square in the jaw and got up to rush to Iroh's side.

"He's not breathing, he's not- not breathing, he's not breathing," Zuko was chanting, his cheeks also stained with tears. He looked at Katara with pain-filled eyes. "Can you do anything? Please help him, _please_.."

Her breath caught up in her throat and she pulled him close, letting him cry on her chest. "I can't.." she whispered, brushing her fingers through his short, rough hair. "I'm so sorry, Zuko. He's gone. He's gone.."

She felt him cry harder and it took the rest of her strength not to do the same. The others just stood there, unsure of what to do. Alec was on his knees in tears, still on top of the drill. Azula was now sitting up and watching, completely speechless. Part of her was afraid if she said anything, all those people would attack her at once and she wouldn't get away. Another part of her was upset at what she had just done. She'd never known herself to regret anything, and now here she was regretting the death of the man she'd been trying to capture.

It was so unlike her that she was beginning to wonder what happened to her. She brought her hand up to her face and touched her bruised cheek. When she pulled her finger away, it was wet. Was she crying? She started to panic inside. Regret and _tears_! The Water Tribe girl was right though, he was family no matter how kooky he was. So is Zuko.

"Zuko, I-"

"Shut up, Azula!" he screamed at her. "_You_ did this! _You_ killed him! _You_ have to take away everything that means anything to me!"

He made it sound so harsh. "I'm sorry!" she screamed equally loud. Regret, tears, _and_ a freaking apology! Something was seriously wrong. _I guess that's why father taught me emotions are bad_, she thought. _This is what happens_.

"Sorry can't bring him back," Zuko said almost too quiet for her to hear.

Azula squeezed her eyes shut and turned away, fighting back another tear. She was fighting to keep her hard, cruel exterior from crumbling in front of these strangers. She'd built a stronger wall around her emotions throughout her life and in a single moment, it all came crashing back down. Iroh was dead. Her very own uncle died by her hands, or rather, her lightening.

Yes, something was seriously wrong with her today..

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**EEP! I am _so_ crying right now, I can't believe I did that! At least it's not a cliffhanger, right? I was afraid if I'd stopped it at "NOOO!", I would've been mauled lol. Did anyone catch the latest new episode? Zuko goes on a date! With me! Woohoo! Still, it should've been Katara. Anyway, you guys know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn (as in, the Jenn that went on a date and KISSED Zuko!)**


	23. Chapter 23

_Would've updated sooner, but my internet's been fucking up. When I wrote this chapter, I just stopped and I was like "Hey, this is my story and I'm going to do whatever I want to it!" so it's, like, incredibly spiced up now. No idea why it took me this long to realize it, but I'm having more fun with it now so I hope everyone loves it! Thanks again to my reviewers, though I wish there were more than just 1/10 of my subscribers reviewing. Anyway, enjoy!_

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"Why here?"

"Because this is where Lu Ten was buried. I think it fits."

"Perfect."

Zuko smiled sadly at Katara and took her hand. "Let's do this."

They walked back down the hill and headed towards the palace, where Iroh's funeral would start soon. They were going to have Alec light the body so that Zuko would continue to be safe. He and Katara were dressed in white, as was tradition for Fire Nation funerals although she didn't know that. He had just come to her with a white dress that looked similar to the one Iroh had bought her a while back and she didn't question it. He also asked the others to wear white as well.

"Are you okay?" she asked as they neared the palace.

"I'm fine," he lied. "Maybe a little tired, but fine."

"Well, afterwards I want you to get some rest, okay?"

He nodded and lifted his head to see the streets of the city empty. They were never empty. He looked in the shops they walked by, but they were closed. "What's going on? Where is everyone?"

Katara shrugged. "Maybe they're all at the palace. He was a friend of the Avatar, maybe they thought it important enough to close down the city for the day."

"Something doesn't feel right about it though."

Katara didn't want to admit it, but she felt it too. Without realizing it, she quickened her pace, practically dragging Zuko behind her. When he tried to catch up to her, she kept speeding up until she was flat out running. A few minutes later, she was running through the oddly unguarded gates to the palace. Zuko chased her, feeling the same need for the urgency. Katara ran through the palace, straight to the main garden where the ceremony would be held. She could hear the voice of the king and gasped at the words she caught.

".._Dragon of the West_!"

_No, no, no, no, no,_ she chanted in her head, hoping she heard wrong. _If they find him out, they'll surely find out Zuko!_ She stopped long enough for Zuko to catch up, then she grabbed his hand and jerked him along. He hadn't heard it, but he knew something was wrong when she did that. They ran out into the garden and the first thing that caught Katara's eye was Jet standing next to the king with a piece of parchment. _Not just any parchment,_ she thought. _A Wanted poster._

"Then that there must be none other than the Prince of the Fire Nation himself!" the king bellowed, pointing at Zuko. The crowd turned and gasped. Zuko and Katara's eyes both widened, Aang stiffened, Sokka's grip on Ty Lee's hand tightened, Ty Lee's hand, in turn, tightened its grip on Alec, and Toph closed her eyes and looked down. Jet smirked at the look on their faces. "Avatar Aang, did you know of this?"

"They're good people, they've changed! They were teaching me firebending! Please, don't hurt Zuko!" Aang pleaded.

"You've betrayed my trust, Avatar Aang, and for that you will be banished from my city. The body of the Dragon of the West will be hung outside the walls as a warning for all the Fire Nation who try to attack the city. The Prince will be killed and hung beside him. Now, Avatar, you have until tonight to leave the city with your friends. Guards, apprehend Prince Zuko."

"Zuko, run!" Aang and Katara yelled simultaniously. Aang whipped out his bison whistle and blew as hard as he could. Katara whispered quickly, "Go back to the hill, we'll find you there." Zuko nodded as he ran back through the halls of the palace, guards chasing closely after him. She heard Aang yell her name and turned just in time to see water flying at her. She caught it and tripped two of the guards with it so Zuko would have an easier time getting away.

Appa's groan sounded above their heads and the crowd below started running as he came down to land. Everyone jumped on except Aang. "I'll gather up our things and meet you outside, you go get Zuko!" he yelled. Katara nodded and took Appa's reins, yelling the magic words that made him lift off. Aang created his air scooter and flew through the halls to their rooms to gather up what little they had and pack it into a couple bags, even managing to get Iroh's tea set. He thought about it for a second, then grabbed one of the tiles from his unfinished Pai Sho game for Zuko. He would've grabbed the whole board, but it was quite heavy.

_Good, that should be everything,_ he thought._ Now to wait for everyone to come get me._

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Appa landed on the hill beside the tree so they could wait for Zuko. They didn't see him in the streets as they passed, but Katara knew the guards didn't catch him. He was too good for that, right? _Way too good_, she convinced herself. _He would've used his firebending now that they knew who he was._

"What is this place and why are we here?" Sokka asked rudely.

"We're here because this is where I told Zuko to meet us. This is where Iroh's son was buried when he died during the siege. This is where we were going to bury Iroh's ashes."

"Oh."

"It's so pretty here," Ty Lee gasped, looking out over the city. "Hey, are those things down there powered by earthbenders? That's so neat!"

Sokka looked out at the upraised roads through the city and noticed a train running along one. "Hey, why didn't we ride one of those? That could've been fun."

"It's too late now," Katara mumbled, sitting down next to the tree. _Zuko should be here in a few minutes,_ she thought. _I hope he's okay._

"He'd better hurry," Sokka scoffed.

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Zuko ran through the streets, trying to remember the way back to the hill. The guards hadn't gained any ground and for that he was thankful. Every once in a while he would send back a fireblast and that was proving to slow them down some, but they were still too close for comfort.

He passed a couple people in the streets that jumped out of their way, but one tried to stop Zuko when he saw the guards chasing him. He jumped and tackled him and the boys rolled across the ground. Zuko jumped up quickly and elbowed the other boy in the throat before taking off again. The guards didn't stop to check on the boy, but instead shoved him out of the way trying to get to the firebender.

While Zuko had his head turned to check behind him, some guards had ran out to cut him off. He ran right into them and fell to the ground. He quickly jumped up and unsheathed him swords, prepared for a fight.

"I knew you looked familiar when you came here," one of them said, stepping forward. "Give up, you're outnumbered here."

"I've been outnumbered several times before, even by Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom soldiers, yet I'm still here and still fighting," Zuko replied. "And I'm still not giving up."

"Have it your way, outcast," sneered the guard.

He motioned to the others and 6 boulders jumped out of the ground simultaniously. Zuko positioned one sword in front of him and the other behind him, both blades facing outward. When the boulders came at him, he spun around quickly and they all fell to the ground in dozens of pieces. He fireblasted some of the rocks and even a couple of the guards, but the attacks kept coming and he couldn't stop them all. The breath was knocked out of him when one hit him in the stomach, then he got hit in the arm and he thought it broken, then a smaller one to the head knocked him out.

"Do you think the king would kill us if his prisoner was 'accidently' killed in battle?" one of the guards asked.

"He probably would, he wants him alive so he can kill him himself. He gave us orders to bring him back alive."

Two of the guards bound his hands and feet with stone and they dragged him back to the palace.

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"Let's go get Aang right now, maybe Zuko will be here when we get back."

"Okay," Katara sighed. They all jumped up on Appa and met Aang in front of the palace. He ended up with 3 bags of stuff because of the bag that Alec had brought along.

"Where's Zuko?" he asked, jumping up on the bison's back and strapping the bags down.

Katara's sad eyes told him all he needed to know. "He wasn't there yet, but hopefully he will be when we get back. Yip Yip!"

Appa groaned and took off again, but when they reached the hill he still wasn't there. Katara climbed down and took her seat next to the tree again, watching the now setting sun. She pulled her knees up to her chest and looked out over the city as if looking for any sign of him. She jumped when Sokka put his hand on her shoulder.

"We need to go," he said quietly.

"I'm not leaving without him."

"Chances are, if he's not here then he was caught. Don't worry, I'll think of something to free him, okay? I am the idea guy, after all, right?"

She gave him a weak half-smile. "Yeah."

"But right now we need to leave before someone comes for us. We'll camp out right outside the walls and I'll find a way to get us back in."

He held out his hand to help her stand up and she took it reluctantly. He thought he saw a tear run down her tanned cheek, but she turned away before he could be sure. When they were all up on Appa, Aang said the words and they were off again.

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Zuko groaned as his eyes fluttered open. It took him a minute to adjust his eyes to the darkness, then he realized where he was. His hands were buried in the wall above his head, his stomach and left arm were throbbing with pain, his head was pounding, and he had small cuts and bruises all over his body. He couldn't see them, but he sure could feel them. He tried to move his feet, but they were buried in the floor. They must've known he could firebend from there as well. Suddenly, he felt nauseous. He lurched to the side and let that afternoon's lunch decorate the floor beside him.

"Well, the prisoner awakes," said a sly voice in the darkness of the cell or dungeon or wherever he was.

"Who's there?" he called weakly, barely recognizing his own voice. He turned his head to the side and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Let's just say, someone who doesn't like you very much," the person said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That doesn't help, there aren't very many people who do like me," Zuko replied smartly. He let out a sharp hiss when the earth around his hands and feet tightened painfully.

There were a couple small clicking sounds before a torch lit up in front of him. He still didn't recognize the face that was lit up beside the firelight. "I lost my children to your nation and its stupid quest for global power. Soldiers stormed our village and killed them right in front of me. I count my self lucky that my wife was gone that day or she may have been with them."

"How is that my fault?"

"You're the Prince of the nation that killed them, any death in this war is your fault!" the man shouted.

Zuko tried to keep a calm face as the man neared him. "You think you're the only one who has ever suffered loss from this war? Do you realize why I'm even here!" His temper started to get the best of him. "I am no longer a part of the Fire Nation! I was _banished_ 3 years ago! I've lost my mother _and _my uncle, my father and sister want me dead, and I have no home! The only people who want me were once my enemies and have just been banished from this city and I may never be able to see the only person outside of my family that I ever loved again! Don't you _dare_ talk to me about loss! I've lost _everything_ now except my life, and that'll be gone soon too!"

The man looked taken back at the outraged prince, but decided to keep his attitude instead of showing pity for the boy. "You don't know love, you heartless bastard. You could never know love. You don't know any emotion, just like the rest of your nation."

"Do I have hands?" Zuko asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"Do I have hands?" he asked a little more slowly.

"Y-yes."

"And a face?"

"Yeah."

"And a beating heart keeping me alive?"

"Yes, where are you going with this?"

"Then I am human, am I not?"

"I-I suppose so."

"Humans have feelings, whether Fire Nation or Water Tribe, everyone has feelings. I grew up being taught that feelings and emotions were weaknesses, but they're not. I didn't know that until recently. I took a girl prisoner in order to capture the Avatar, and after being stranded on an island with her for a while she taught me things that went against my entire childhood schooling, completely undid everything I knew. That girl, I fell in love with. Do you know who she is? Where she's from?"

The man shook his head, unsure if he wanted to speak.

"She's the Avatar's friend and waterbending teacher, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. She's a waterbender and was once an enemy, but she loves me and I love her and would do anything, and I mean _anything_, to be with her again. I would die for her. In fact, if I were to die right now, I'd die happy just knowing that my life is complete. Now, I would say that that's not heartless, wouldn't you?"

He could hear the other man hesitate before finally saying, "I'm not supposed to be talking to the prisoners." He watched the torch light grow smaller and felt the earth around his hands and feet loosen just a bit. He could hear voices as soon as the light disappeared, then it reappeared and he could hear more footsteps.

"Well, the Prince is awake finally."

"How many times do you people have to point that out?" he asked in a bored voice.

"You're starting to sound like the girl over there."

He didn't have to see to know who it was. None other than Mai, he was sure of it. When the new voice got closer, he could make out the face of the king himself. He smiled inside as he did everytime he saw the short Earth King. The man just didn't fit the role at all, or the voice. He was sure Toph could've taken him easily. Maybe she could rule better too.

"I'm still having the masquerade ball tomorrow night, only for a different purpose now. We're going to celebrate the capture of you, the Fire Nation Prince, and the girl over there, the daughter of the governer of the former Omashu and friend of the Princess. The morning after, you'll both be killed and hung outside the walls beside your beloved uncle. That'll send a message."

"What message?" Zuko spat. "That you're just as low and ruthless as the Fire Nation? When will the killing of innocents stop?"

"Since when are you innocent?" the king roared. "You are their Prince! She is a nobleman's daughter and skilled assassin! Neither of you are innocent!"

Zuko glared daggers at the man before him. "She was dragged into this by my sister. I am a banished prince who was trying to help the Avatar and my uncle was in the same boat. We are both innocent and if you kill us, you're no better than the Fire Nation."

"And I suppose you've never killed anyone?"

"Not unless they attacked me." He paused, and then pointed out, "You know now that if the Avatar fails in his mission to defeat the firelord, it'll be on your head, right?"

"How is that?"

"I was his firebending teacher. Water, earth, and air he knows, but without fire he doesn't have a chance. If he dies, it's your fault."

The walls echoed with a loud crack as the calloused palm of the king made contact with the prince's already bruised cheek. Even the two guards behind him winced at the sound. He thought he heard a gasp from across the room where he presumed Mai was. "The only thing I am to be blamed for is the death of the enemies." And with that, he turned and walked off.

"If I die, you're going with me!" Zuko screamed as the torch light disappeared.

"And how are you going to manage that?" Mai asked in her usual bored tone of voice.

"I'm not sure, but I'll make it happen one way or another," he growled. "Whether I die or not, he will go down and someone worthy of the throne will take his place."

"Are you planning on not dying?"

He thought for a second about his friends, mainly Sokka at that point. He remembered him being the 'idea guy' and how easily he came up with the plan to take out the drill and suddenly a glimpse of hope came into view. "If my friends come through for me, I am."

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Sokka was the last one up, sitting around the campfire. He had to think of something, if not for Zuko's sake then at least his sister's. He couldn't stand seeing her like that. Her normally perky and happy self was replaced by a depressed and upset her. She wouldn't even waterbend, claiming she just wasn't in the mood. Toph and Ty Lee both tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't talk. Even he tried, but got no response. Aang didn't even bother, he knew she wouldn't open up to him. He had to think of some way to get Zuko back.

Without thinking about it, he grabbed a bag and started shuffling through it. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he'd know once he found it. After a few minutes, his hand wrapped around a scroll and he knew that's what he needed. He pulled it out and unrolled it. Staring back at him was the answer to all the questions that had been running throughout his mind since they left the walls of the city.

When he woke up the next morning, he excitedly showed whoever was awake, which was only Katara at the time. She looked at him like he was nuts. "What about it?"

"Do you know what this is?"

"An invitation to the masquerade ball, so?"

"Okay, Aang and Toph earthbend the city walls open, we still have our masks and hopefully our outfits too. If not, the shops will be closed and we could easily 'borrow' one. Anyway, we have the invitation so we can get into the palace, and we'll have masks so no one will know who we are! We can sneak into the dungeon and break Zuko free and leave before anyone knows what happened!"

"Do you really think he's still going to have that ball after we were banished?"

"Well, it is tonight and I don't think he would cancel it at the last minute. Besides, he said he was looking for an excuse to have one so he really wouldn't just cancel it."

For the first time since she parted from Zuko, a genuine smile crossed her face. "This might actually work, Sokka. Thank you!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, almost choking him but he didn't mind. He was fine with it as long as she was happy again.

When the others woke, they agreed, only Toph and Aang had to add a little. They told the other four that Zuko was the Blue Spirit.

"What?" asked a shocked Katara.

"That's so _cool_!" Alec yelled, jumping up from his spot.

"Yeah, so what I was thinking was that you could take him his costume and he could escape as the Blue Spirit and people would think that he rescued Zuko instead of anyone else," Aang explained. "I mean, he's already wanted by all the nations as himself and the Fire Nation as the Blue Spirit. What's another poster?"

"He's got a point," Sokka said.

"He probably doesn't have his swords anymore," Katara reminded them. "Sokka?"

Sokka sighed, knowing what she was getting at. "I guess he can use mine, but I get them back as soon as we're out of there."

"That's fine, he just needs them to escape."

"Well, who's taking all this stuff to him?" Toph asked.

"I am." They all looked at Katara, but no one questioned her. "And I'd be honored if Ty Lee helped me, just in case."

"Of course!" the pink girl squealed, jumping up and hugging Katara.

The rest of the morning was spent planning every single detail of the escape. Katara and Ty Lee were plotting alone, thinking that it's about time they made their own secret identities like Zuko with his Blue Spirit. They'd need the masks anyway when they break him out, why not make a name for themselves while they're at it?

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Azula sat alone in her tent, impatiently waiting to hear the sound of her messenger hawk bringing back orders from her father. She wasn't quite sure what to expect from him, being who he was. Surely he wouldn't do anything drastic. She was, after all, the only honorable heir he had left to carry on the crown.

Suddenly, the sound she'd been waiting for pierced the sky outside. She shot up and ducked out of her tent, holding out her arm for her hawk to land so she could read the letter.

_Princess Azula-_

_I've given you an easier task than that of your failure brother, yet you have failed me as well. I was more than disappointed to hear about the Avatar mastering all the elements. You, my prodigy, have proven yourself to be as much a failure as your brother._

_I hereby decree that you, Princess Azula, are banished from the Fire Nation and all of its territories. As for the issue of an heir, it's already taken care of. Your new brother, Kozun, will have the throne after I pass. Hopefully, he will prove to be less of a disappointment._

_-The Great Firelord Ozai_

Azula's eyes were rimmed with tears. He.. banished her? _Her?_ The firebending prodigy? For not being able to capture a stupid 12-year old boy, an old man, and a poor excuse for a brother? How was she not able to capture them? They should've been easy! He's 12 years old, for crying out loud!

She looked over the letter again and again, even checking the hawk's pouch to make sure it bear the Fire Nation's royal emblem. She eyed every letter of every word, making sure she hadn't misread it. Her eyes stopped on one word: Kozun. Since when does she have another brother? Surely he hadn't married again.. then again, there was the harem her father had. Maybe he had expected as much from her and prepared for such? Or maybe he never wanted a woman on the throne so he tried for another son.

"No!" she yelled outloud, almost setting her tent ablaze. Her letter went up in flames and floated to the ground. There was only one thing she could do now. Her friends were captured, her father didn't want her, the only family she had hated her or was dead. "I have to find the Avatar. Maybe.. just maybe they'll.." She trailed off, sitting down with her head in her hands, thinking about what was required of her now. If her father wouldn't accept her.. maybe the all-forgiving monk would.

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**OMG! (eep!) This chapter was so freaking cool! And completely unexpected, might I add. It was one of those that just.. came right out and I barely had to think about it. I know it wasn't a good excuse to banish Azula, but Ozai is completely insane and ruthless and doesn't take failure well. It could happen! Anyway.. wow, I just can't get over how this chapter turned out. You know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**

**And thanks to Blackarura44 for saying this story is the greatest on this site! _(happy dance)_**


	24. Chapter 24

_This is definitely one of my longer chapters. I just couldn't stop writing with this one! I was really surprised at all the reviews I got and I love you all for them. I got online and I had like 20 reviews, though some of them for my little drabble series I started on. Now here's the next chapter. Enjoy!_

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He could hear the party starting somewhere over his head and knew that perhaps his time here was nearly over. He heard Mai shifting uncomfortably a few feet away. Maybe she was getting anxious too? He hadn't told her anything about his friends and their way with plans. Maybe she was just nervous about tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day they were to supposedly die.

"Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to apologize for helping your sister try to capture you. It was nothing personal, it was more like an excuse to get out of Omashu. I really agreed to it before I knew the details."

"It's fine, Mai."

The faintest hint of red washed her cheeks when he said her name. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard her name from his mouth before. "So.. you and that waterbender.."

"Katara."

"Yeah.. are you two..?"

"We are."

Mai's heart dropped to her buried feet. "Oh, well congratulations. It's good to know your exile doesn't bother you that much." She used everything she had to keep her bored tone and to keep hurt out of her voice. Ty Lee had told her, but she just needed confirmation even thought she really hadn't wanted to hear it. "Your short hair looks good. It makes you look younger and a little less mean."

"Um, thanks."

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to make conversation here. It's so _boring_ sitting in a pitch black dungeon with someone and not talking."

Zuko sighed audibly and shook his head. "I prefer comfortable silence over uncomfortable conversation."

"I guess," she said quietly. Everything went silent for a few minutes before she spoke up again. "So, why isn't Ty Lee down here?"

"She's with Aang and the others."

"Do they have her hostage again or is she just with them now?"

"She never was hostage, the way I hear. Katara's brother, Sokka, took her to patch up her arm and she decided she didn't want to leave, even when you and Azula took her back. She and Sokka kind of have a thing now."

"That's the guy with the ponytail, right? She did say he was cute."

"That's the one."

Another silence. Then a loud noise from above.

"What was that?"

"I can only hope it's who I think it is," Zuko said, looking up towards the ceiling.

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"Okay guys, bend this wall down."

Toph and Aang took stances beside an unguarded part of the wall and moved their hands down, taking the wall with it. They all ran inside and the wall closed again. The city wall was very close for they'd picked a piece of the outer wall that was closest to it. They all ran as quickly as they could in their outfits and masks. At least they could see a little with the setting sun.

"Katara, you've got the invitation, right?" Sokka asked.

"Yep."

"Okay, good. Another wall, you two know what to do."

Once again, the wall slid down and they ran inside the city and moved as quickly as they could to the palace. They only stopped once to let Katara get a mask she'd been looking at. The party was already started when they finally approached the gates. Ty Lee said she'd meet them inside and jumped over the wall because the invitation was only for four. Zuko and Iroh had their own for some reason. As they showed their invitation and entered, Katara suddenly felt guilty for leaving Alec behind with Appa. She reassured herself that he'd be fine and that she'd told him what to say if anyone came near.

"Alright, you guys know what to do. Everyone split up," Sokka whispered to the group through his mask.

Katara immediately went off to find Ty Lee and, much to her surprise, she was already inside. "Are you ready?"

"Sure am!"

The two girls looked around to make sure no one was watching and snuck out into the main hall outside the ballroom. Katara looked up through one of the windows in the ceiling and knew the balcony she saw above them. She knew where she was. They stopped for a moment to slip out of their dresses, revealing their swords and tighter outfits that were easier to move in and resembled Zuko's black Blue Spirit outfit. Ty Lee gave up her usual pink and both of the girls had on black, although she wanted to keep a light pink, almost white, mask. They pulled out leather bands and tied their loose hair back so it wouldn't get in the way and they wouldn't be recognized by their trademark hairstyles. They crept around a corner and found stairs leading up and some leading down. Katara knew the ones going up lead to their old rooms, but the ones going down meant they were getting closer to the dungeon.

Footsteps resounded through the halls as they started down the stairs. The girls froze to hear where they were coming from and, just their luck, they were coming up the stairs. It _was_ lucky, though, that it was only a palace servant. He froze and looked startled at the two masked figures before him.

Katara put her finger up to the lips of her mask and shook her head. She disguised her voice the best she could and said, "We weren't here or you won't be."

The young man quickly nodded and made the motion to say his lips were sealed. Katara nodded and he ran past with his armful of towels. _He must've been doing laundry for that scumbag king_, she thought. They continued down the stairs and down a long but simple hallway.

"I think we're getting close, this looks like the servants' quarters," Katara whispered to her acrobatic friend.

Ty Lee nodded in response and they crept down the hall and around unknown corners until they found a heavy wooden door guarded by two big men. They knew that's what they were looking for. They were about to attack when they heard a big noise somewhere over their heads.

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Toph and Aang were acting casually by dancing along with everyone else in the room. Sokka, surprisingly, wasn't pigging down on the food. He knew he was on a very important mission, although he couldn't help but stare at it. Suddenly, the music stopped and everyone clapped as the king made his way to his throne in the front of the room. The three got nervous and huddled back together near the back of the crowd.

"Citizens of this great city of Ba Sing Sei, welcome! Tonight, we have gathered to celebrate yet another victory over the Fire Nation. We have captured two of their very high-ranking citizens!"

There was an uproar of cheers from all around. Sokka, Aang, and Toph just looked at each other, all with the same question on their minds: _Who was number two?_

The king held up his hand to quiet the crowd before he continued. "We have, in our very secure dungeon, the daughter of the governer of the former Omashu and friend to Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, Noblewoman Mai-" He was cut off by another uproar, but his hand quieted them yet again. "And the biggest victory is our capture of the banished Prince Zuko, son of Firelord Ozai!"

This time he allowed them to cheer, for it was indeed a big victory. Toph shifted nervously and the boys shared worried looks. When the crowd was finally done with their little victory cheer, the king spoke again.

"Tomorrow morning, both are sentenced to death and their bodies shall hang next to that of the once great General Iroh, Dragon of the West, as a warning to all of the Fire Nation!"

"No!" The entire room turned to the loud voice that was Toph. "You can't kill them! If you kill them, you're just as low as the Fire Nation. They've done nothing to you! Prince Zuko was even helping the Avatar before you captured him and banished the Avatar from the city!" There were gasps and whispers across the room, but Toph continued. "You are a bad king and you don't deserve to keep your throne!"

The king looked taken back at the bold words coming from the masked child in the back. "Child, what is your name?"

Before Aang could stop her, she ripped her mask off and threw it to the ground. "My name is Toph Bei Fong of the Bei Fong family of Gaoling. Daughter of Lao Bei Fong, earthbending master, undefeated champion of the Earth Rumble Championship, and teacher to the Avatar himself!"

"And what is it, exactly, that you are insinuating?" The impatient tone in his voice was unmistakeable and the crowd grew eerily silent.

"I'm saying that by killing Prince Zuko, you're killing the Avatar's only hope to learn firebending, therefore killing the world's only hope of peace. The world will fall to the Fire Nation and everyone will blame you, at least those who survive the final attack."

The king was beginning to get irritated, even more so when he heard some of the whispers running through the crowd before him.

_'He banished the Avatar?'_

_'That Zuko is on our side now, he shouldn't be killed.'_

_'Maybe he isn't fit for the throne anymore.'_

_'That girl is a blind earthbender?'_

"I challenge you to a _Daichi Kai_, an earth duel," Toph finally said. "If I win, you step down to someone more suited for the throne. If you win, do with Zuko what you will and we'll leave your city for good."

"And how will you determine who is more suited? Not that you're going to win or anything."

"In the short time we've been here, I've met quite a few people I've seen more fit to wear the crown than you. Even I'm more fit for it than you, not to mention my family has more money than you," she smirked.

"Deal," the king growled. Another wave of gasps was heard throughout the crowd as they parted for him. "Shall we go to the arena for this?"

"Or we could do it right here so everyone can see," Toph said, slamming a foot into the ground and causing a boulder to rise up. "I'd suggest everyone back up a little!"

The people ran to the sides of the room, including Sokka and Aang. The king almost looked panicked. "No, please not my ballroom!"

"You can afford to fix it though, right?"

Toph punched the boulder, sending it flying at the king, who barely dodged it. It hit the throne, making a loud boom that echoed through the room and down the halls, all the way to the floors below the palace and to the ears of the captured and their saviors. The soldiers guarding the door to the dungeon looked at each other, then ran towards the noise and, luckily for Katara and Ty Lee, the opposite direction of them. As soon as they rounded a corner, the girls looked at each other.

"That was easy enough. What's going on?" Ty Lee whispered.

"Who cares, let's go."

They approached the door and looked over their shoulders before slipping inside. Katara grabbed a torch on the wall before they started down the dark, long, narrow stairs that led to the dungeon.

"Try to look sneaky and don't talk or else it's not a secret identity," Katara whispered to Ty Lee with a small smile behind the mask. She saw the other girl nod and turned back to the stairs, where they were finally reaching the bottom.

"Who's come to torture us now?" called the familiar voice of the boy they were after. Neither of them said anything but continued to walk where the voice came from. The torch didn't exactly give off much light. "Do you talk?" he asked.

His voice was close and Katara noticed something on the ground in front of her. His.. legs? She knelt down and put her deep purple, growling demon masked face near Zuko's, watching him shrink back a little, not knowing what to expect. Then she stood up and put the torch near his hands to see them covered in earth on the walls. She handed the torch to Ty Lee and motioned for her to hold it close so she could see. She drew her swords and use one to carefully remove his hands and feet from their earthen prison, then she helped him up. His mask found its way into his hands and Ty Lee handed him Sokka's swords that she'd been wearing.

"You're here.. to rescue me? Who are you?" he asked, though he thought he already knew.

Katara shook her head as he slipped his own mask on and they started out until a voice reached their ears. "Don't worry about me, I'll stay here."

Ty Lee froze at the sound of her other friend's voice. Part of her was excited, but another was warning her about her loyalties to Azula. She looked back to Katara and saw her nod, then they released Mai as well and all of them snuck out of the dungeon. After all, she was disarmed and couldn't hurt them. The guards still weren't back and that made them curious as to what was really going on. Katara jerked her head the direction they'd come from and led the way, motioning for Zuko to bring up the rear and watch their backs.

Katara stopped at the end of a wall and, acting as spy-like as possible, peaked around to see if anyone occupied the next hall. When she was sure it was clear, she waved everyone around and they continued down the hall. They went like that until they came to the stairs that went back up. She put a finger to her mouth and motioned for them to stay put so she could check if anyone was coming. She silently crept up the stairs and peaked around the main floor.

_Good, it's clear,_ she thought.

She went back for the others and together, they made their way into the hall that went to the ballroom. They stopped about halfway down when a giant boulder came flying through the wall of the ballroom, so they ended up jumping out one of the windows that lined the hall and ran across the courtyard to the surrounding wall. Zuko held out his hands and helped each of the girls jump over the wall, even Ty Lee because she didn't want to risk exposure even if he was a friend, before jumping over himself.

Once they were on the streets, Katara and Ty Lee led them as far as a small neighborhood near the hill before they disappeared onto the rooftops and into the night.

Zuko tried to go after them, but Mai's hand on his arm stopped him. "What do we do now?" she asked.

He looked back to the rooftops, but the masked girls were already gone. His eyes traveled to their surroundings, stopping on the hill just barely visible over a few buildings in front of them. He pointed up there and she nodded.

"She told me yesterday that she'd meet me on that hill. I think we should wait there."

"Do you know those people who helped us? Are they like your 'masked bandit' buddies?"

Even with the limited vision, Zuko had forgotten his own mask was still on. He untied the knot in the back and pulled it off, revealing his face to the nearly full moon. "I'm not completely sure who they are, but I have a feeling."

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Alec was now half asleep on one of Appa's giant furry legs. He was trying desperately to stay awake in case there was trouble in his area, but he was only 7! He had a bedtime for a reason!

"Man, I hope they get back soon," he said to Appa, who only grunted his reply.

"Me too," a girl's voice called from somewhere in the dark woods. Alec was immediately awake and was about to jump on Appa's head when the voice stopped him. "Wait, please. I'm not here to hurt you."

He turned towards the voice, trying to figure out why it was so familiar. "W-who are you and what do you want?" he asked, lighting a flame in his hand to help him see.

"I'm rather impressed at the fireball you managed to conjure up the other day. How old are you?"

"I asked first," he said, gaining more confidence in his voice.

The girl laughed softly. "You're a smart one, I can tell. I'm sorry we haven't been formerly introduced. My name is Azula and I've come to.. to offer my _services_ to the Avatar. Where is he, might I ask?"

"In town."

"Did they say when they'd be back? And why would they leave you here alone?"

He looked up in the sky, then turned back to the girl that was now approaching. "They should be back soon and they left me here because they know I can take care of myself. I am a firebender, after all."

"Do you mind if I wait here for them? It's kind of important."

"As long as you don't try anything funny."

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The girls made their way back to a ruined ballroom, but they weren't surprised to see it in ruins after the way that boulder had created its own path through the wall earlier. Looking around, the first thing Katara noticed was an unmasked Toph in a fighting stance in the middle of the room. She was about to ask why when two big rocks came flying at her head. She ducked easily enough and when her hands hit the ground, they sent a big quake through the room and the earth shot up under the king on the other side. He landed on the floor hard on his stomach.

"I thought surely the almighty King of Ba Sing Sei would have a few decent moves, but I guess I was wrong," she taunted. "You're no better than the scum I have to fight at the Earth Rumble to keep my Championship belt. Ready to give up yet, or do I have to stop taking it easy on you and get serious?"

The king was on his hands and knees, panting like a gopher-dog and looking very pale for someone with tan skin. Not as dark as Katara's, of course, but tan none the less. His deep green eyes concentrated hard on his ruined floor between his hands and looked as if he were going to say something, but before he could, he passed out.

"I guess I win," Toph giggled.

There were a few claps in the crowd that had stayed to watch. Katara and Ty Lee slipped their masks off, as most of them had by then, and quickly snuck past the crowd to get to the dresses they had hid in a large vase at the end of the hall.

"Do you think they knew who we were?" Ty Lee asked.

"Zuko might have an idea, but I think Mai is clueless. Don't let either of them know, though. If things get too rough, we may have to bring the masks back just to earn a little money or get food or something."

"Okay, that works."

"Let's go before they find the dungeon empty. You know they'll blame us for that. Oh, undo your hair too."

They quickly made their way back down the hall and into the ballroom via the new hole in the wall. The king was still out, but had been picked up and moved. Toph was talking with a guy that Katara recognized from somewhere, but she couldn't think of where exactly. Someone she'd seen in the city, she knew that much.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Sokka asked as he approached them.

"Please," the girls replied together.

"Okay, well Toph is busy picking a worthy king so when she gets done with that, we can go."

Ty Lee and Katara looked at each other, then back to Sokka. "Exactly what happened here tonight that we missed?"

"Oh, it was great!" Sokka exclaimed. "The king was announcing what he was going to do to the prisoners and Toph objected to it, then she challenged him. She said if she won, he had to step down. If she lost, then we would leave the city for good and they could do whatever they want to Zuko."

"So I guess she won?" Ty Lee giggled, looking around the ruined ballroom.

"You bet she did! You should've seen that giant boulder she threw through the wall! And when the king fell into the ground and tried to surprise Toph, but instead she was waiting and he got knocked into the wall! It was awesome!"

"Um, yeah.." Katara said, looking at her brother funny. "So, we're going to go ahead up to the hill because that's where they're waiting for us. Do you-"

Sokka cut her off, "Wait, _they_?"

"W-we saved Mai too. Are you coming with us?"

"Why did you save her? She's just going to come after us again!"

"She was unarmed and now she owes us for saving her life, so according to the Fire Nation honor code she can't harm us until she repays her life debt," Ty Lee explained.

"Fine, let's go. I'll tell Aang, then we'll leave him here with his little girlfriend."

Sokka ran off to find Aang and the girls made their way through the rubble mess to the entrance to wait for him. Katara readjusted her swords under her dress and redid her hair in her usual style. A second later Sokka had caught up with them and they left together.

"So, did the king get any hits in?" Katara wondered, slightly amused.

Sokka rubbed his chin and thought for a second before answering, "You know, I don't think he did."

"Well, that was just an unfair fight. I mean, Toph wasn't named a champion for nothing."

They all had a good laugh and continued down the streets of the city towards the hill.

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Zuko sat against the tree and stared out at the moon, feeling strangely at peace. He wondered why, then remembered Yue. She hadn't visited him in a while, but he wasn't complaining. Frankly, he thought it was creepy to see a girl in front of you that wasn't really there and you could see right through her. He watched as the only cloud in the sky passed over the moon, only dimming it some for the cloud was thin and whispy. A shooting star flew through the midnight black sky and he, superstitiously, made a wish. He heard Mai whisper something and looked over to where she was sitting against the tree near him.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just making a wish on that shooting star. I know it's superstitious, but I do it just for luck, you know?"

"Yeah."

They settled back into a comfortable silence and Zuko continued to be mesmorized by the moon. He wondered what it felt like to be the moon and be able to watch everything that happened below it. _I wonder if she still feels_, he thought. He was so immersed in his thoughts, he didn't even see the three people approaching them. Sokka noticed his gaze and looked out at the moon, suddenly feeling sad.

"Are you the ones who sent those two people after us?" Mai asked them, snapping Zuko and Sokka out of their trances. Katara nodded to her. "What are you going to do with me now?"

"I suppose you're coming with us until we get out of the city," Katara told her. "After that, you're on your own."

Mai looked to Ty Lee, who in turn looked at the ground. She felt bad enough leaving her old friend behind, but she didn't need the additional guilt of another abandonment pulling at her. She moved closer to Sokka and took his hand for encouragement. He immediately squeezed it to reassure her it would be okay and she felt somewhat better.

"Oh, Zuko, before I forget.." Katara started. She fiddled with something at her waist and bent down just in time to catch something that fell. She lifted her dress a little (the pants from her ninja outfit were rolled up) and pulled the swords out. "I managed to snag your swords when no one was looking."

She tossed them to him and he smiled as he pulled them out to examine them. "Thanks, Kat."

"Have you guys seen or heard from Azula since our last encounter?" Mai was eager to get the attention off of them.

The air suddenly got very tense as everyone shifted uncomfortably, mainly Zuko. It was then that she realized what the king was talking about when he said they'd be hung beside Zuko's uncle. _Azula killed him_, she thought. She whispered a barely audible 'Oh' and stood up quickly, brushing the dirt from her clothes. Zuko stood up as well, not bothering dusting himself off.

"Let's go," he said firmly. He took a step, then noticed they didn't have either earthbender with them. "Where are Toph and Aang?"

"Well, there was a fight between Toph and the king and our little Toph won, so their agreement is being followed through. She's choosing a worthy king as we speak," Katara explained.

"I told Aang to meet us here. He said they shouldn't be much longer, so they should be here soon," her brother told them.

Zuko sighed and plopped himself back down in his spot beside the tree. Katara sat down beside him and laid her head on his shoulder and he pulled her closer with an arm around her shoulders. Mai was suddenly jealous all over again. She too sat back down and occupied herself with picking at her sleeves, missing the weight of her knives and darts inside their hidden pockets. Sokka sat in the grass facing the tree and Ty Lee laid down with her knees folded up and her head in Sokka's lap. He absently ran his fingers through her loose hair as they waited for Aang and Toph to get back. Luckily, they didn't have to wait long.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Aang's cheery voice called.

Immediately, everyone's heads shot up to see the two walking up the hill. The small group slowly got to their feet, all physically tired and worn out and not looking forward to the somewhat long walk back to their campsite.

"Come on, let's go. Alec is probably getting worried if he's not already asleep," Toph said. She turned and started down the hill, the others in close pursuit. After about 15 minutes of walking, they finally reached the first wall. Toph and Aang opened the wall, then closed it behind everyone as they continued to the outer wall. Another long walk and they reached the final obstacle on their way back to camp. Again, the two earthbenders opened and closed the wall.

"Man, I hate walking," Sokka groaned.

"I guess that would explain this little gut you're getting," Ty Lee giggled, patting his stomach.

"That's not funny," he replied sleepily, stifling a yawn.

After what seemed like forever, the rather large group made it back to their campsite to a rather disturbing and unexpected sight. Alec had fallen asleep on Appa's tail and was covered up with a blanket but nearby, a fire was burning brightly with the one person they never expected asleep beside it.

Sokka was about to yell, but Katara's hand flew over his mouth. He gave her a startled and confused look and she simply pointed to Alec's sleeping form. She removed her hand and whispered to him, "You and Zuko cover her mouth and take her away from here to find out what she wants. Something's up. If she was here to hurt us, Alec may have been dead already and she wouldn't have fallen asleep here."

Sokka nodded and tugged Zuko's sleeve, then the two boys cautiously approached the sleeping prodigy. Zuko went for her head and Sokka went for her feet. They counted down on their fingers and jumped at her at the same time, Sokka grabbing her legs firmly and Zuko wrapping his arms around her neck and covering her mouth. They ran quickly into the surrounding woods and the last thing Katara saw of the princess that night was the panicked look in her eyes before the darkness swallowed them.

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**Mwahaha! How I love where my story is going! My artistic soul thanks you again for the food you call reviews! I'm sorry about the fight scene, I'm just not that good that them.. well, not as good as I want to be. I tried but it didn't come out good at all. I apologize if anyone seemed OOC. I figure in 24 chapters, people have to change and grow a little, right? Even Zuko was OOC in the newest ep and that's weird cuz that's the actual show and not a fanfic story. Anywho, you know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**


	25. Chapter 25

_Sorry for the super long update, I had a major case of writer's block. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers for being so patient with me!_

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Zuko slammed Azula hard into a tree when they were far enough into the woods. Both of the boys pulled out their swords, each crossing one across their throat though neither of them realized how much teamwork they were putting into the whole ordeal. Azula's panicked golden eyes were quite a sight for Zuko to see. He had to hold back the urge to laugh at her.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" he growled, getting dangerously close to her face.

Zuko watched as the panic left her eyes and they glazed over, blank and emotionless just like they usually were. "I don't have to explain myself to you, Zuzu." _He's the only family you have left now, try to be nice._ She hesitated before she whispered, "I need to speak with the Avatar."

"You don't need to speak with anyone here," Sokka said, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword.

"I'm not kidding, Zuko."

His eyes lit up with confusion at the sincerity of her voice. "Why should we believe you? How do we know you won't take him and run back home to your precious father?"

"He's your father too."

"That man is not my father. I thought he was once, but he will never be. The only father I knew is dead now because of you."

"I'm glad you think that way," she whispered, lowering her eyes. "It's time I denied him too. Consider me no longer a threat. He never loved me, he was only using me to get to the Avatar as he was you."

Zuko and Sokka looked at each other, unable to comprehend this new girl that has apparently possessed Azula's body. Zuko finally snapped out of it and his grip on his sword loosened every so slightly. "What are you saying?"

Azula took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "You're the only family I have left. He was disappointed in me for not being able to bring him what he asked for and he banished me as well. I would show you the letter, but I burned it after I read it. I'm prepared to help you teach the Avatar firebending, perhaps teach you more advanced moves as well if you'll learn from me."

"Alright, who are you and what've you done with Azula?"

She pretended she didn't hear him and continued. "He said he didn't need either of us anyway because apparently we have a new little brother, Kozun, that's going to take the throne after him. He said he hopes that Kozun is less of a disappointment."

Zuko withdrew his sword and Sokka looked back at him like he was nuts, but cautiously followed his example. Azula rubbed her pale neck where the swords had been touching and looked back and forth between the boys. Zuko looked like he was concentrating hard on his feet and Sokka was watching him as if waiting for an order or something. His eyes shifted to meet hers and she was startled at just how blue they were. Sure she'd seen him before, but she'd never paid attention to his eyes because she was always too busy fighting him. They rivaled the ocean and she supposed the waterbender's did too. Maybe that's what drew Zuko to her. So exotic and foreign like nothing they'd ever seen in the Fire Nation. She hadn't really been around boys her own age other than her brother, much less decent looking ones. Maybe life in exile wouldn't bother her so much after all.

"Did he marry again?" Zuko finally asked, breaking the silence.

"He didn't say, but I don't think so," she replied, not breaking eye contact with Sokka. "I don't think he ever wanted a female heir so he found any excuse he could to banish me and have a worthy male heir with one of the whores in that stupid harem he has. So.. what do you say? I'm sure you need help training the boy.. and there's actually something I want you to teach me."

Zuko's brow furrowed and he found himself once again questioning whether this was really his sister. "And what might that be?"

"To redirect lightening?"

"No, _no way_, that was the one thing that Uncle taught me that you can't do and I'd like to keep it that way. As for the Avatar's training, I guess it's up to him but if he does decide you can stay, don't think for a second that you won't have every eye on you in case you decide to try something."

Azula nodded, finally looking at her brother. "That's understandable. By the way, did I see Mai and Ty Lee back there?"

"We had them saved from the dungeon," Sokka explained. "They were to be executed with Zuko tomorrow."

Zuko gave the boy a questioning look, but thought it best to ask about it later. Azula cocked her head in confusion. "You had them saved?"

"We hired two masked women to break into the dungeon and rescue them while we kept everyone busy in the ballroom."

"Ah, I see. Well, thanks for saving my friends. Had I known that was their fate, I would've stepped in myself to rescue them. So is it safe to go back now? I'm still pretty tired."

The boys looked at each other and nodded, but grabbed each of her upper arms to lead her back just in case. Azula figured they would always be suspicious of her intentions and she would have to get used to that until they got used to her. When they got back, everyone but Aang and Mai was already asleep. Azula looked at the young monk and bowed her head in respect. She really did respect him for not only his abilities and the fact that he wasn't afraid to fight her, but that he had the power to save the world and soon to stand up to her father. She hadn't really thought the man cruel, he was too much like herself and she liked that, but banishment for something that simple was just.. well, _stupid_.

_Kind of like Zuko's banishment_, she thought. _I feel like I just got a small glimpse into my brother's mind. This may be easier than I thought.. maybe._

"Tell him why you're here," Sokka said, bringing her back from her thoughts. She finally lifted her head to meet the boy's large gray eyes.

"Avatar Aang, I'm here to offer my services. I deeply regret the death of my late uncle and now that I have no home and you need a master, I sought you out to help any way I can."

"Seriously, what's wrong with you?" Zuko asked her. He approached her and felt her head for signs of a fever, but she was as fine as a firebender can feel. "You just aren't acting like the same evil psycho sister that's tortured me all my life. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I guess you could call it an epiphony," she shrugged, then turned back to Aang. "Will you have me as your advanced firebending teacher, Avatar?"

Aang was just as surprised as the boys had been when she told them of her intentions. Of course, him being the all-forgiving, peace-loving monk of an Avatar, replied, "I would be honored if you joined us, _Sifu_ Azula. After all, another enemy off our tail can't be a bad thing!" The bright and cheery smile that followed could've lit up the entire camp.

Sokka opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. It was, as Zuko had said, Aang's decision. Whether he liked it or not, they had the addition of more girls than he was really comfortable traveling with. The Keyoshi Warriors were different being around because they were so.. professional, and he didn't travel with them and have to spend every day arguing over stupid girl stuff like sewing and cooking. At least he was traveling with Ty Lee again. That made him a bit more comfortable, especially after the way he'd seen Azula staring at him. Something like curiousity or fascination, almost as if she'd never seen him before. Maybe she just.. Sokka's eyes widened briefly at his proposterous idea. _Proposterous! Impossible! Absolutely insane, there's no way._ He spent the rest of the night watching over her and convincing himself that there was no way this evil rogue firebender.. _liked_ him.

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Zuko's golden eyes popped open and surveyed the area. Of course, Sokka had fallen asleep against the tree during guard duty. Everyone else still seemed to be asleep too. He got up as quickly and quietly as he could and snuck to where Appa was asleep. Luckily Alec had rolled off of Appa's tail and Aang had used his sleeping bag this time. Zuko snuck over and awoke the bison gently, praying to Agni that he didn't make any noise that would wake the others.

"Come on, Appa, wake up," he whispered in Appa's ear. "We have something important to do before everyone else wakes up."

The giant beast's eyes fluttered open and Zuko smiled. He'd come to really like the animal, though he doubted he would admit it to anyone. He climbed up to the reins and whispered the magic words and Appa took off. He flew the short flight to the outer wall of Ba Sing Sei and carefully made his way around it looking for what he needed. After another minute of flying, he finally spotted it with a heavy heart. He led Appa up and told him to keep steady as he released the body of his beloved uncle and placed it in the saddle.

"Okay, now we can go back," he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering. The sun was barely peaking when they got back and Toph was already awake. "Hey, can you help me with something?"

"Sure," she replied, unsure of what he would need her help with. "What's up?"

"I got his body and I want to have a proper funeral.. well, as proper as you can get in the middle of the woods."

"Oh.." she whispered under her breath, understanding all at once. "Absolutely."

She walked to the far end of the campsite and took a stance, fists facing the ground before bringing them back up towards her face. The ground in front of her lifted to about her chest. Then, she faced her palms down and pushed them towards the ground, making an indention in the raised earth for Iroh's body. Zuko had retrieved his body from Appa's saddle and now placed it in the makeshift funeral bed. A single tear slid down Zuko's pale cheek and landed on Iroh's green robe.

"I'm so sorry, Zuko," Toph whispered sadly.

He sighed. "Let's wake the others now and do this so we can get moving sooner."

Azula was waking up already, along with Alec. Such is the firebender way. Zuko softly shook Katara awake but Toph abruptly sent the other boys flying through the air and yelled at them to wake up. That right there woke up the last two girls.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes and his neck from where he landed.

"A proper funeral," Zuko stated firmly, doing a good job with keeping the sadness from his voice. The others quickly noticed the raised earth and woke up instantly. They didn't bother with the white clothes, they were somewhat limited on supplies as of then. Zuko stood before them, having been to a funeral before, and spoke. "Iroh, the great Dragon of the West. You were the fearless general in the siege of Ba Sing Sei. You were the son of Azulon, now passed, brother of Ozai, husband of Maili, now passed, father of Lu Ten, now passed, and uncle of Azula and I. We lay you to rest."

Zuko looked over the solemn faces of the others present before he lit the body in the makeshift funeral pyre. They all watched the flames dance about and engulf the body of Iroh. After a while, there was only ashes left. Zuko nodded to Aang and the boy knew what was being asked of him. He lifted a slab of earth and placed it on top of that already raised, then let the entirety of it sink back into the earth.

Toph stood over the spot the ashes had just sunk in and stomped, bringing up a small stone to mark the spot he was buried. Aang knelt down and moved his finger around in front of it, carving out Iroh's name in the stone. The only tears shed where that of Katara and Ty Lee and they were both trying hard not to cry. Zuko figured one tear would be fine and, luckily for him, it was already shed in front of the one person who couldn't see his weakness.

"Do we go back to the city?" Aang asked after a while.

"No," Zuko replied. "We need to keep moving."

By noon that day, the large group had already started traveling. There wasn't really anyone left now to find and capture them, but they needed a safer place to teach Aang firebending. They didn't want him to be able to burn the entire forest down. Appa walked behind them all with Alec riding on top, twirling two small fireballs in one hand and a bored look on his face. The boys had placed Azula in the middle of them and Toph walked behind them while the other three girls lead the way.

Azula glanced down at the young Avatar. "Well, you obviously know some firebending already. How much have you learned?"

"Iroh took me through the basic formations, but I have yet to master them. I didn't really have a place to practice in the city because they weren't supposed to know about Zuko and Iroh being firebenders and I don't think they would've bought that a 7-year-old was teaching me. No offense, Alec."

"None taken," he called back, still twirling the small fireballs.

"Okay then, Zuzu, you've mastered the basics I presume?"

"Only the basics, but yes. And don't call me that."

"Then Zuko will continue your basic training before we move onto the advanced sets. Am I taking both of you as my students?"

"You have me," Aang chirped. "Zuko?"

"I guess.." Zuko growled over his shoulder. "But I'm still not teaching you to redirect lightening. Aang, you won't teach her either."

Azula had forgotten that the Avatar knew the trick. She had just remembered Zuko redirecting it back at her and hitting her with her own lightening. Now that she thought about it, she remembered Aang redirecting it the day she'd killed her uncle. She briefly wondered what would've happened if Iroh hadn't been killed. Would she still be banished? Would she still be betraying her country with her brother by helping the Avatar? She was suddenly jolted from her thoughts when she ran into Zuko.

"Oh, I'm.. um.. why did we stop?" she stuttered.

"Shh.." Katara turned back to the girl and put a finger to her lips. They all stood completely still at first, then Katara grabbed random arms and dragged them to the edge of the forest along the dirt road they were traveling on, everyone else following as quickly at the sudden burst of urgency. Alec jumped up and grabbed the reins to lead Appa up to hover above the trees out of sight. The moment everyone was hidden, they saw something moving around the bend in the road.

"A Fire Nation procession?" Aang whispered, only to have his mouth covered by Zuko and Katara's hands.

They saw the guards everywhere and a red palanquin being carried, then more guards behind it. Alec peered over the trees and got a peek at the procession. Azula wanted to jump out and attack them all when the wind carried one particular whisper to her ears.

_'I always knew that Princess Azula was as ruthless as her father, but killing her own uncle is a new low for her.'_

She looked at her brother and thought he must've heard it too because she saw him tense up and narrow his eyes in the direction of the men who'd said it. They lingered in that spot a couple minutes after the procession disappeared before stepping foot back out on the road. Alec watched from Appa's head before carefully landing the bison behind the group.

"Who was in that thing? Did anyone see?" Sokka immediately asked.

"It's called a _palanquin_," Azula told him. "And they're reserved for royalty or very high-ranking Fire Nation citizens."

"Like my dad," Mai said quietly.

"You don't think..?"

"I don't see what he'd be doing out this way. He should know that Ba Sing Sei is still under Earth Kingdom control."

"Oh well," Zuko sighed. "We need to keep moving. Come on."

Mai looked back over her shoulder in the direction the procession was heading before turning and following the oddly mixed group. She couldn't help but wonder how she went from helping the Fire Nation and working under Azula to betraying her own nation by staying with the Avatar's group. She could always say she was only with them until she repayed her life debt to the group, but even after she did that she wouldn't want to leave. She hadn't had any other friends other than Ty Lee and Azula growing up because she kept herself so closed-off but, although this group was quite tight-knit, she secretly envied them and wished to become as close with them as she was with her two best friends. She just wasn't sure if she could open up as easily as Ty Lee apparently had.

"We should be coming up on a town soon," Katara announced, breaking Mai from her thoughts.

"Good, we could use the supplies," said a disgruntled Sokka. "Especially since our little group has gotten so big." He glanced down at Azula to see her watching him intently. _At least someone listens to me_, he thought.

"Do you think it'll be under Fire Nation control since someone obviously important just left?" Ty Lee asked. Most of them stopped immediately. They hadn't even thought of that. Ty Lee nodded and grabbed Mai's hand. "We'll go check it out since we're technically still Fire Nation and they can't do anything to us. You guys stay in the woods over there and if you have to, camp there. We'll be back in a little while, depending on how far away the town is."

"Be careful," Sokka said, pulling her into his arms. She leaned up and gave him a passionate kiss before she and Mai started off down the road and around the bend. Luckily Sokka's back was turned or he would've caught the scowl on Azula's face at the sight of the kiss. Zuko noticed it though.

Aang jumped up on Appa's head with Alec. "I'll fly up on Appa and see if I can spot a clearing for us to stay until they get back." With that, they took off into the sky.

Katara sighed and hopped off the road into the forest. Sokka followed, and behind him came Toph and Azula with Zuko trailing behind to watch her. They each kept glancing up to look for Appa, except for Toph of course, to make sure they could find any clearing Aang might've spotted. After about 15 minutes of walking aimlessly around the forest, Aang landed in front of them.

"We found a clearing just ahead. It's really close to a ravine and we can see land on the other side. If we are where I think we are, we're changing direction tomorrow after we get supplies."

"And where exactly do you think we are?" Zuko asked.

"Nearing the Eastern Air Temple."

Aang snapped his glider open again before anyone could say anything else and soared off back to Appa, leaving both Zuko and Azula plagued with guilty feelings in the pits of their stomachs. It was, after all, their people that had killed off the airbenders. Azula had once been proud of that fact, but after having dealt with pain herself now, she felt bad for the boy. Rejection from her father was nothing compared to having your entire nation wiped out, but it was painful none the less.

A few minutes later, they came upon the clearing Aang had mentioned. Zuko figured then was as good a time as any to pick up Aang's training where his dear uncle had left off and Azula sat off to the side and observed. Sokka sat against a nearby tree and sharpened and cleaned his weapons, Toph laid around lazily chewing on a piece of grass, and Katara attempted to bend some of the water from the ravine. She had to concentrate extremely hard because it was a pretty long way down, but finally managed to do it.

Azula was watching her brother's methods in training the Avatar, but got bored quickly and her thoughts drifted. For some reason, the Water Tribe boy kept popping into her head. She tried to keep him on her mind though because when she tried to think of something different, she thought of the letter she'd gotten from her father very recently. She thought of how startling blue his eyes were, his cute little ponytail, his courage despite not being a bender, his knowledge of weapons, even his stupidity was cute. She was suddenly jealous of Ty Lee. She wasn't supposed to get jealous, she always got what she wanted.. and she figured this time wouldn't be any different.

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"I think she took the bait, Jet. Her camp looks to have been deserted a couple days ago."

"Good. Now we should have them all together and it'll be easier to take them out."

"I'm not sure about this. I mean, sure they're firebenders but they're not hurting anyone. They're helping the Avatar, they can't be all bad."

"All firebenders are bad, Smellerbee. It's probably just part of an elaborate scheme to capture them."

"Then why are we taking all of them?"

"Because Katara is still mine.."

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**I know Azula seems a little OOC.. or alot.. or maybe it's all part of the plan.. mwahahaha! You'll have to keep reading and reviewing to find out! And apparently Jet had his own little plan go over pretty well too. Ha, that just came to me last night and I though it was great. Anyway, you all know the routine! R&R!**

**Jenn**

**P.S. New episode this Friday! Appa's Lost Days!**


	26. Chapter 26

_Thank you all for the reviews! I finally reached 400! I love everybody who leaves them, as for the rest of you.. I have 74 people subscribed to my story (last time I checked) and I get about 14 reviews per chapter. Come on, people, review this stuff even if it's just to say "update soon!". That way I know you're eager to read it and I can get them up faster if I know more people are excited about it!_

_I just realized I haven't mentioned the island basically since they left it, so its events are coming back in to play in this chapter.. somewhat at the request of _**TheOnlyItachi.**_ Plus, an added surprise at the end dealing with Alec and an explanation of Jet's suspicious behavior.. kinda. :D Enjoy!_

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"Do you know what they're planning?"

"No I don't, young miss. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, thank you anyway."

Mai and Ty Lee walked out of the small shop with disappointing news. The Fire Nation was indeed stationed there, and luckily neither of them heard anything of Azula, so they took it upon themselves to go ahead and get the supplies they needed.. well, as much as they could carry anyway. The town wasn't all that far from where they'd split from the others, but it was still a good distance to walk, especially when you're buried under supplies for 9 people.

"I can't believe this. What's he doing?" Mai's bored voice asked.

"Maybe Firelord Ozai sent him out here to start building a stronger attack on the city since the drill was obviously a failure."

"I heard rumors about that while I was in the castle's dungeon. What happened?"

Ty Lee let out a sigh and a tired smile. "Oh, the Fire Nation built a giant drill to penetrate the outer wall and we destroyed it."

"You helped?"

"Well, kind of. I protected Katara from soldiers while she was bending the wall sludge back into the drill. Sokka and Zuko cut through some of the beams inside and Aang delivered a powerful blow to the top to bring it down. That was all right before Iroh.. um, went down," she finished sadly.

"I wish I could've been there. Maybe things would've happened differently."

They continued down the road in silence and, after a while, noticed the bend in the road ahead. As far as Ty Lee could remember, there was only one bend in the road, meaning they were almost back to the spot. She let out a relieved sigh and started walking faster. By then, the sky was showing faint hints of the orange sunset coming. When they started around the bend, Ty Lee was even more relieved to see Sokka sitting beside the road waiting for them. Even Mai showed a look of gratitude to the boy as he helped unload some of the supplies from their arms.

"Why did you get this stuff already?" he asked as he led them through the woods to their little clearing. "We could've gotten it when we went into the town."

"It's occupied by Fire Nation," Ty Lee explained. "We thought maybe it'd be safer if the Avatar _didn't_ walk right into their arms."

Sokka gave her a look, but didn't argue. He just kept leading them until they got to the campsite, where Katara almost instantly grabbed some of the things from them and started dinner. Alec and Aang were playing a game with what little firebending Aang knew, Toph was still lying about chewing on a piece of grass, and Zuko was teaching Azula how to meditate properly. She figured since he wouldn't teach her to redirect lightening, he could find something to teach her and meditating was the only other thing he knew how to do that she didn't. She actually found it quite relaxing and decided she would've been banished long ago if she'd known how to do that.. then she laughed silently at her own thoughts.

"Dinner is served," Katara finally announced. They all eagerly stood up and rushed over to get the food that smelled so delicious. Before Sokka wolfed it down, Ty Lee laid a hand on his shoulder and her soft smile told him to eat it slower. Katara took her food to the edge of the cliff to eat and watch the sunset before her, Zuko joining her as soon as he got his share of the rather large meal.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, poking at his food.

"Just wondering what everything is going to be like when this is all over. I mean the war and all, it's just getting out of control."

Zuko looked into her ocean blue eyes and was mesmorized when the orange glow of the sunset shone in them. He smiled to himself and took a bite of the food on his plate. "Mmm, this is good."

"Yeah, I picked up some cooking tips from the chef at the palace and I figured I could use them every now and again."

"Other than that, it's nuts and that weird stew stuff, right?"

"Yep!"

"_Great_," Zuko said sarcastically, digging back into his food hugrily.

Katara giggled and looked down into the ravine that she'd sat only inches from. _That's a long fall,_ she thought. _At least there would be Zuko or the water to catch me if I ever fell for some reason._

_You mean like eating too close to the edge like you are, stupid?_

'Wow, haven't heard you since the island. And I'm not going to fall, the earth under me is stable.'

_Anything can happen, Sugar Queen._

'I already know that, but I'm not going to fall.'

_Well, when you do I'll be here to tell you 'I told you so'._

"Okay, whatever."

"What was that?"

Katara looked up at Zuko. "Oh, I must've.. I was just arguing with myself in my head."

"Hey, you haven't done that in a while."

"I know, since the island. Wow, I hardly ever think about that place anymore. Our paradise."

"Well, you didn't exactly have the most pleasant of memories there as I remember."

Katara shut her mouth instantly when she knew what he was talking about. "Um, yeah. I remember.."

Zuko sighed and set his empty plate down behind him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that back up. I thought you'd gotten over it by now because you haven't mentioned it in so long."

"You don't just get over something like that."

"It helps to talk about it, like your dreams."

"That wasn't a dream, Zuko. That was real and it won't help to talk about it. If anything, it'll make it worse. It'll reopen a wound that I thought had disappeared and I don't want to do that."

"I think we already have."

Katara stood up and huffed, "I don't want to talk about it!"

She stormed off down the cliff and turned sharply to go into the woods, but apparently too sharp for she lost her balance and disappeared over the edge.

'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!'

_See? I told you you'd do something stupid like that!_

'Shut up and help me think!'

The water below was closing in rapidly and she smiled as she got an idea. She'd just been thinking about the island anyway, why not? She brought her hands over her head and let herself fall faster. Then suddenly, her arms shot back to her sides, the water following her commands. She kept spinning her arms around herself and the water wrapped itself around her into a ball. Her fall slowed greatly as she fell into a deep concentration. Soon, she merely floated above the water at the bottom of the ravine. She smiled to herself, then concentrated harder as she started back up.

When her eyes opened, she was staring into the shocked faces of all her comrades. Zuko's face was the only one not shocked, but it looked as if he was on the verge of tears. Had she scared him that badly? She hovered over the ground for a moment longer before releasing the water and letting it fall freely back into the ravine.

"What.. was that?!" Aang exclaimed.

Zuko cleared his throat and sealed off his expression. "I almost thought you forgot that trick. I almost thought you forgot everything that happened on the island."

There were too many looks going around at once and no one was getting their questions answered. Toph was trying to ask what happened, Sokka was screaming frantically at Zuko for information on what exactly happened that he needs to know about, Aang was still in shock about her new waterbending trick, but the other three girls sat aside and watched amusedly. Alec was already passed out on Appa's tail.

"Guys, what's going _on_?" Toph yelled, finally grabbing someone's attention.

Aang looked at her and realized she had no idea what he'd just seen. "Katara just did this amazing waterbending trick. How did you do that?" he asked, turning his attention back to Katara.

"It was something I taught myself before you guys rescued me from that island. I controlled it better, Zuko! And I didn't pass out this time!"

"Well, you didn't blast anyone with it this time either."

"Oh, is this more of that stuff that you won't talk about?" Sokka asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "That _'Zuko knows because he was there'_ stuff?"

"Now why would I keep that a secret? It's an awesome trick! I guess after you guys came, I forgot about it because I was so happy to see you. I made it as a shield as first and I was trying to do something else with it and ended up blasting Zuko and Iroh across the beach."

Aang laughed through the uneasy silence that settle over them at the mention of Iroh's name. "Do you think you could try to teach me that?"

"If I can," she replied. "I've never seen it done myself by any waterbenders. As far as I know, I'm the only one who can do it, but I'll try to teach you." She secretly didn't want to teach him because he got everything so easily and she would, once again, feel inferior. It was her trick and it deserved to stay that way. Part of her hoped he couldn't get it. Then again, she was a master and he wasn't.. yet.

Darkness was over them soon and it was unusually cold for being summer, so Azula's blue flames graced the fire pit and heated up the campsite tremendously. Katara unpacked the extra blankets from Appa's pack and handed them to Mai and Ty Lee. Azula refused hers because she wasn't cold. She simply said she raised her body temperature and was fine.

"Oh, we found out who it was we saw earlier," Ty Lee remembered. That got everyone's attention immediately. "It _was_ Mai's father. The shop owner either didn't know or didn't tell us why he was out here, but he's heading to a town near Ba Sing Sei."

"We think he may be out here setting up another attack on the city," Mai told them all shyly.

Aang sighed. "And to think, we were going to change course in the morning."

"Why are we changing course?"

"We're nearing the Eastern Air Temple. If the map is right, going up the ravine would lead us to the Serpant's Pass, so following the river down would take us out to the ocean and if we stay along the water, it'll take us to the Kungi Mountain range and the Eastern Air Temple."

"Oh, that's so neat!" Ty Lee squealed.

"Yeah, but we're going to have to stop whatever they're planning over there."

Sokka's eyes finally shook off the hypnotized trance he had on the fire in front of him to join the conversation. "Maybe we could split up. I'm sure none of them want to be caught with you at the risk of _all_ of them being named traitors. We can go and the girls can go ahead to the temple and we can meet them there."

"I'm not sure about that," Zuko spoke up. "We're still not sure we can trust them, remember?"

"You can trust me because I still owe you a life-debt," Mai said. "I'm not allowed to do anything to harm you in any way until that debt is repaid."

"Would you feel better if you went with them and Ty Lee came with us instead?" Sokka smirked, sitting back and crossing his arms. Mai lowered her head and smiled, hoping they'd agree to that.

Katara thought about that for a second and before Zuko could answer, she did. "I like that better." Zuko's head snapped to look at her with an unbelieving and almost hurt look in his eyes. "That way, you can keep an eye on them and we'll have Ty Lee just in case something happens."

Ty Lee smiled. She knew what Katara was getting at. "I'll do that," she called cheerfully.

"And you can take Alec with you so he's not in any danger with us," Aang said.

"Fine, I guess that's what we'll do," Azula grumbled. She looked over the fire at Sokka, who was standing up.

"Well, I'm going to sleep and I suggest you all do the same. We've got a way to travel in the morning, both groups." He slid into his sleeping bag beside the trees and was asleep almost instantly.

Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee followed his example and soon after, Toph's earth tent popped up. Aang took one last look at the fire before he slipped into his own sleeping bag next to Appa leaving Zuko and Katara alone.

"You really think this is a good idea?" he asked quietly. "Do you want to get away from me that badly?"

She giggled and scooted closer, allowing his arm to rest across her shoulders. "It's not that I want to get away from you, it's that you're probably the most qualified to handle Azula if she tries anything. And we would've taken Mai instead of Ty Lee, but it's her dad and I know I wouldn't want _my_ father to see me betraying my nation so we saved her from that. Plus, if it gets me out of talking about the island, I'm for it."

"You really should talk about it. If not to me, then your brother at least. He deserves that much."

"I know, I know," she sighed, leaning forward to cradle her head in her hands. "I just wish it was easier to tell your own brother something like that. It's.. well, it's uncomfortable for the most part, and it brings back painful memories."

"You think it was easy for me to talk about how I got my scar? I was ashamed and embarassed and humiliated in front of my nation. It hurt, physically and emotionally."

"Does it still hurt?"

"Not anymore. It's still a bit uncomfortable to talk about, but apparently everyone already knows anyway so at least I don't have to explain it over and over. Not that I would anyway."

"Well, that's just it. No one knows exactly what happened that lead to me.. _killing_ those guys and I'd rather keep it that way because it's too uncomfortable to talk about."

"Even to your brother?"

"_Especially_ to my brother!"

"Suit yourself," he sighed. "But when you're about to burst from not talking about it, I'll be here and if I'm not, Sokka is." He pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

He started to stand up, but Katara held on to his hand and pulled him back down. She lifted her eyes to meet his, her blue eyes making the tears rimming them seem silver in the light of the nearly full moon. She gently traced the edge of his scar with her thumb before pulling his face down to meet hers in a rough but passionate kiss. He cupped her face in his hand and used the other one to pull her into his lap. As she got more and more into the kiss, she didn't want to stop. She needed him, craved him, longed for him to take the last of her innocence, but she also knew that now was neither the time nor place.. or company for that matter.

Their tongues danced over one another, filling their mouths with the sweet taste that was their love. Zuko pulled her closer until there wasn't the slightest hint of space in between them. They continued that way for another minute until they broke the kiss, both gasping for breath but happy because of it. Katara rested her head against his and smiled.

"I love you so much, Zuko," she breathed. "You better take care of yourself while I'm gone."

"I promise," he whispered back. "I love you too. Make sure your brother knows that I'll kill him if anything happens to you."

"I promise nothing's going to happen. I will return to you. Take care of Alec for me, okay? Now, we should get some sleep."

He gave her one last quick kiss goodnight before sitting himself against a tree and falling asleep. Katara giggled at him before letting her own exhaustion catch up to her.

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Jet was sitting in the study of the home he'd taken over for the night. He was bent over a desk, writing what looked to be a letter when Smellerbee walked in. She watched him from the doorway for a second as he wrote as neatly as he could, his brow furrowed in concentration and that damnable piece of grass hanging from his lips. Finally, she cleared her throat and walked in the rest of the way.

"Who are you banishing now?" she asked casually, moving up behind him.

"I'm trying to think of the names of those girls that traveled with the princess," he mumbled, not looking up from the piece of parchment in front of him. "One of them is the daughter of the governor of Omashu that I just had relocated, but the other one, I'm pretty sure, was from the circus and I'm not sure what noble family she's from or I'd send them something too. Oh, how I love having this little guy," he smirked as he pointed over his shoulder to the caged messenger hawk in the corner of the room. "He's very useful. And it helps that I'm an excellent whittler as well." He nodded to the stamp in front of him beside the two sticks of red wax.

"I really don't think we should be doing this, Jet. It doesn't feel right. I know the princess was basically evil, but she hadn't done anything to us."

"She's Fire Nation, that's all that matters," Jet growled, making Smellerbee back up a step. "I thought you understood that. We have to go to drastic measures to keep them from winning this war."

"Stopping the war isn't our job, it's the Avatar's. We shouldn't be messing with this." She looked up to the doorway and noticed Longshot standing there with a concerned look on his face. "Even Longshot agrees. We're supposed to be trying to start over, Jet."

Jet finally looked up as Longshot nodded. "Are you two against me now?"

"We're not against you, we just don't support what you're doing. It's wrong and you're the only one who doesn't see it. I mean, even going after Katara is wrong. I know you're all in love with her or whatever, but she doesn't want you. You saw her with that guy and you know what he'd do to keep her from you. She's not worth it."

"Yes she _is_!" he yelled as he stood up from his chair. Smellerbee backed up into Longshot, who placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Katara is mine and I'm not going to let some Fire Nation punk come in and steal her from me!"

Smellerbee looked up at Longshot and he shook his head. She closed her eyes and nodded, lowering her head. "If that's how you feel then do what you think is right, but do it without us."

"What? You're leaving me?"

"You still have Pipsqueak if you need someone, but we won't continue like this. Tomorrow morning, we're gone."

"Fine! Leave! I don't need you anyway!" he shouted. He settled back into his chair and began scribbling furiously on the parchment. The two teens looked pitifully at the boy in front of them before they finally walked away and left him to his work.

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Everything was packed up way before noon the next morning. Aang had decided that Zuko's little group needed Appa more to get up to the temple, but they had to refrain from using him until they needed him to get up there. About 4 hours before noon, they all split up after an intentionally long hug between Zuko and Katara. Of course, that had been expected because they hadn't been apart from each other since he captured her.

So Zuko, Azula, and Mai traveled together with Alec still half-asleep on Appa's saddle. Despite getting as much sleep as he did, he was still quite tired for some reason. His dreams kept his body busy, though apparently no one noticed him tossing and turning on Appa's tail last night.

_"Please, you can't go! You have to be here to see your child's birth! I can't do this alone!"_

_"I have to go, sweetie. It's the firelord, you can't tell him 'no' unless you wish to pay a visit to your relatives."_

_"Don't tell him 'no', just tell him 'not yet'. Please, he'll be here any day now and I want you to see him before you leave for this stupid war."_

_"I can't. I have to go, I'm sorry. I love you and I promise I'll be back as soon as they'll let me. Take care of our son.. or daughter."_

_"Jee.."_

A silent tear slid down Alec's cheek. It had been the same dream every night for months now. Never any pictures, just voices, but he knew exactly who they belonged to: his parents. His father, he had no idea if the man was even still alive. For all he knew, he could've been killed his first day in battle. His mother, Agni bless her spirit, didn't like to talk about him much because it hurt. She'd at least sent him a letter telling him where they were leaving to, but he never wrote back and he never came to see them.

"Jee.." he whispered dreamily. All three of the walking teens stopped and looked up at him. He noticed they stopped and saw them watching him. "What?"

"What'd you just say?" Zuko asked.

"J-Jee. That's my dad's name. I was remembering my dream and I guess I remembered his name."

"Was he a lieutenant, by any chance?"

Alec cocked his head. "I-I'm not sure, I barely know anything about him. My mom never talked about him after we moved here. All I know is that he's fighting in the war and he's a powerful bender."

"I don't know why I didn't notice it before. You look just _like_ Lieutenant Jee!"

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**EEP! OMG, I fell in love with my own story all over again when I left Zuko and Katara alone. I almost cried because it was so beautiful! (sniffle sniffle) And don't worry, Azula's OOCness will be gone soon, I think in the next chapter. She does something.. very much like herself. I told you it was all a plot! I'm not giving away more than that, I'm just letting you know it's coming. As for Alec.. eep! I knew who his father was as soon as he entered the story and I figured this was the perfect time to mention him. Betcha didn't see that coming! You know the routine, R&R! And I mean all of you..**

**Jenn**


	27. Chapter 27

_Gah, sorry about the wait. I was feeling a bit discouraged after I someone told me that it was getting long and to wrap it up, but then I got more reviews saying to hurry and update and how much they love my story. If it's getting too long for you, you don't have to keep reading you know. Anyway, I found that I write alot better with some metal blaring in my ears lol. I just put my headphones on and starting writing and it came out perfectly, better than I'd planned actually. Now read on, my fans!_

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"I wonder if Alec is okay. He seemed pretty tired still when he woke up this morning."

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Katara."

The waterbender sighed and concentrated on her feet as they walked down the road. Ty Lee was doing cartwheels and flips at random moments down the road, Sokka occasionally tossed his boomerang, and Aang and Toph kept trying to catch each other off guard by knocking the other off the road. Katara let out a small laugh when Aang went flying into the treetops.

"Come on, Twinkle Toes!" Toph yelled. "You're going to have to do better than that!"

Aang untangled himself from the branches and floated down onto the road with small rips and tears in his clothes and a couple scratches on his face. He walked right up to Toph and tried to shove her, but she didn't budge. She smirked at him before letting out a very childish laugh, making Aang laugh along with her. He shoved her again quickly before she stopped laughing and sent her to her rear in the middle of the road.

"Better for you?" he asked, smiling at his accomplishment.

Toph stood up and brushed herself off, still a hint of laughter in her pink cheeks. Katara rolled her eyes and strolled past them, followed by Sokka and a cartwheeling Ty Lee. She glanced back to see if they were following and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Toph walk right up to Aang and kiss him full on the lips. Sokka saw her stop and turned to see what she was looking at, then smiled and kept walking.

"You _did_ know, didn't you?" he asked her when she finally caught back up to him.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't expect to see it," Katara replied. "I don't know, Toph just doesn't strike me as the type that likes to show off that kind of stuff."

"I'm sure she felt the same way about you and Zuko, or at least him alone based on the way we described him before she met him."

"I guess.."

She went silent again to watch her feet, thinking about him. She just couldn't get the night before out of her head. She knew she needed to talk about what happened on the island, but like she told him, it was just incredibly uncomfortable to tell your brother that you were almost raped.. especially if he wanted details. She still wasn't quite sure how or why she passed out on that beach, but it didn't matter as long as she woke up safe and unharmed.

Then there was the kiss. That incredibly _amazing_ kiss. The most amazing moment in her entire life, spent with her former enemy. But she loved him and he loved her back, that's all that she cared about. A few months ago, she never would've believed that anything like that could happen to her. Sure, she thought he was cute, even the first time she saw him in the South Pole with that silly-looking helmet that was almost knocked off his head by Sokka's returning boomerang. She never could get over the look on his face when it hit and he tried to readjust it quickly. It was almost as funny as the look on his face when she, Ty Lee, and Toph were laughing at him on the deck of the last ship they were on.

_Zuko, you look constipated!_

She giggled quietly to herself. _Oh, how his ears must've been ringing when that thing hit_, she thought. _It had to have reverberated throughout that helmet, and I'm sure it was loud._

"You miss him already, don't you?"

She looked up at Ty Lee, who'd somehow gotten in between her and Sokka, and nodded. She did miss him, very much. It'd only been.. she trailed off in her mind and looked up at the sun. It wasn't even noon yet. _Good grief, I'm obsessed!_

"Will you be okay? I mean, it's just a few days or a week or two.." she trailed off, knowing that that much time away from Sokka would get to her too. _Had_ gotten to her at one point.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she lied. In truth, she wasn't sure if she would be fine without him. He was her support, her courage, her strength. She unconciously gripped the swords at her hip.

"Aang," Sokka called behind them. "Can you fly ahead and see how far away the next town is?"

Ty Lee giggled. "Are you tired already?"

"N-no, just a little hungry, that's all," he retorted. He was about to ask again when Aang shot right over his ponytailed head, making it puff up into a mess of hair. He stopped and frowned as the two girls beside him laughed hysterically at the new hairstyle he was now sporting. He quickly undid his hair tie and fixed his hair as neatly as he could, then tied it back up.

"You're like a girl with your hair, Sokka."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Ty Lee took that opportunity to gently shove him, but 'gently' landed him into a tree beside the road. She laughed some more, but Katara had drifted off into her thoughts again and kept walking. She looked sadly at the waterbender while helping Sokka back onto the road.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"She'll be better if we make this a fast mission and get back to him as quickly as possible," Sokka said.

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"He worked for me on my ship," Zuko explained to Alec. "He's a very good man, but I haven't seen him in months. I'm not really sure what happened to him. I know he was recruited into Admiral Zhao's North Pole mission, but after that.."

"I heard all about what happened at the North Pole," Alec said sadly. "My school teacher said it was our greatest victory so far over the Fire Nation. She also said that.. none of the ships from that fleet survived. Not even the flagship."

"Well, the Water Tribe may have taken prisoners. You know how they are, the peace-makers," he attempted, but the boy had made up his mind. He was an orphan.

"You shouldn't stand so close to the cliff."

Zuko looked behind him and realized just how close he'd gotten. He was only about a foot away from it, maybe less. He quickly stepped away from it before the earth gave way under him. He'd have to watch where he walked a little more carefully now.

Mai tucked her hands into her sleeves and cleared her throat. "We should keep moving."

"You're right," Zuko agreed. Mai turned quickly back and started walking away, hoping no one caught the blush that had come from nowhere all of a sudden.

Appa let out a grunt and started forward, making Alec fall back a bit in the saddle. He laid back and watched the clouds, starting to drift off to sleep. Sure, he didn't really want to because the sun was up and he was supposed to be too, but it was going to be a boring trip and there really wasn't anything else to do.

He let out a sigh. "This is going to be boring.."

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Aang landed on the streets of the town they were headed to. He knew he was just supposed to see how far away it was, but he wanted to get a good look at the layout and see if he could find where the palanquin had gone. He didn't have to look long, for right outside an inn was about half a dozen Fire Nation soldiers. He smiled and nodded, but continued looking around, sneaking around back alleys and empty side streets. He could see the faintest hint of mountains in the distance as he neared the other side of the town and knew they were the mountains just outside the south side of Ba Sing Sei's outer wall.

"Wow," he whispered to himself. "I didn't think he'd get this close to the city. That was pretty stupid.."

He was about to flip his glider back open and take off when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

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"So they left this morning?"

"Who needs them anyway. We can handle this on our own, right?"

Pipsqueak looked down at Jet solemnly. "I guess." He didn't want to voice his opinion. If he'd known what all the yelling was about the night before, he would've gone with the two but now he just couldn't leave Jet all alone. He knew with his swords he could handle himself, but there was always a chance something could go wrong and Jet was his friend. He wasn't sure what to do exactly. He was confused.

Jet reached down and pulled a knife from his boot and began carving something. Pipsqueak didn't bother trying to see what it was, he knew it had something to do with Jet's evil plan. It was small, but that's all he could tell.

"You don't have a problem doing this, do you?" It was more like a statement rather than a question, but Pipsqueak answered anyway.

"I'm just here to keep you out of trouble, Jet, but I'm with Smellerbee and Longshot on this."

Jet scoffed and looked up from his little project and Pipsqueak finally caught a glimpse of what he was doing. He was carving what looked like an arrowhead, but not just any arrowhead. This was special, different from what they were used to seeing. One he'd only seen once himself.

"So _everyone's_ against me?"

Pipsqueak turned back to watch where he was walking before he ran into a tree. "Not against you, just against your plan."

"It's the freaking _Fire Nation_!" Jet yelled. "Anything bad that happens to them is good for the rest of the world."

"But the Avatar's group did have a point the first time we met them. There are still alot of innocent people that could be harmed, even in the Fire Nation. Not everyone in the Fire Nation wants the war, I know. That Prince Zuko, he's working with the Avatar to stop it now."

"That banished prince will be dead by the end of the week if I have anything to say about it."

Pipsqueak went silent, not wanting to push Jet further into the depths of his insanity. And that's exactly what he thought Jet was: insane. Sane people know where to stop. Jet doesn't. He knows no limits, for war usually has none. He only does what he feels he has to do to help his part in the war.. not that he truly has a part. Killing or hurting innocents isn't exactly what one would call 'helping'.. or a part, for that matter.

Jet wouldn't tell anyone exactly what his plan was, but it was slowly unfolding before Pipsqueak's eyes and all he could do was watch and wait..

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"I wonder what's taking Aang so long. Is the next town really that far away?"

Toph stopped and stomped her foot really hard on the ground, then a couple seconds later said, "Actually, we're getting close."

Katara sighed and rubbed her hands across her eyes. She swore she was getting so bored that she was falling asleep walking. She stifled a yawn and kept walking, hoping Aang was on his way back. Until then, she wanted to see if she could make Toph squirm. Hey, it was some sort of entertainment and that's what she needed right then.

"So.. you and Aang, huh?"

Toph cleared her throat nervously. "Um.. yeah. We wanted to tell everyone back in the city, but it just kept getting put off and I guess everyone knows by now anyway."

"Was that your first kiss back there?"

"N-no.."

"On the ship, perhaps?"

"No.."

Katara raised an eyebrow and looked down at the young earthbender. "How long has this been going on, exactly?"

"Since.. well, you know when I would take Aang away from the rest of the group to practice earthbending right before we found that island? Yeah, about right there."

"Wow.." Katara mused. "So it's pretty serious then?"

"I guess."

"Why did you guys hide it all this time?"

Toph kicked a small pebble down the road a way before answering. "Well, at first it was my decision to keep it between us. I guess I was a little self-concious about it, dating my earthbending student and all. Maybe I felt I needed to keep up the rough exterior that everyone had gotten used to."

"Yeah, because we all _love_ being shot up through the air at the crack of dawn and yelled at," Sokka muttered. Ty Lee elbowed him in the ribs and he didn't say anything else.

"After I'd gotten over that, he decided to keep it that way because he was unsure of how you guys would react to it, especially you Katara. I'm not sure why though."

"He's had a crush on me since I broke him free of that iceburg. Maybe he thought I felt the same since I almost kissed him in that cave on our way to Omashu."

"Almost _kissed_ him?"

"We thought it was the key to getting out of there alive, but luckily after the flame of our torch went out, the crystals in the ceiling started glowing and led us to the exit. I don't think I could ever kiss Aang unless it's on the cheek or something, he's too much like a little brother to me now."

"Why would you need to kiss him on the cheek?"

"When he does something nice for me, like the time he got my necklace back from Zuko at the abbey."

Sokka shook his head and looked at the ground. "That stupid animal.. what was it again? A shirshu, that's it. I hated that thing.. and I wanted to kill Zuko for laying his hand on your lower back even if he was trying to keep you from falling off."

"You saw that?" Katara giggled.

"Hey, I could still move my head a little. You should be thankful that I got over it though. At least now I don't want to wring his firebending neck."

Ty Lee suddenly jumped on Sokka's back and he carried her like that almost like he was waiting for it. "You two actually make a cute little team," she said. "Did you see the way you handled Azula? You were so brave!" She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush.

Katara smiled, but at the same time wanted to cry. She missed Zuko..

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Aang whipped around, staff ready to attack whoever it was that had snuck up on him. He was surprised, however, to be face-to-face with Smellerbee, Longshot leaning against a wall behind her. He looked around her further looking for any signs of Jet, but none were to be found. He peeked around the buildings he was standing in between, but still nothing.

"I heard all about your little attack on my friends. What do you want now?" Aang spat.

"We just wanted to talk to you. It's about Jet."

"What about him? Where is he?"

"We actually left him this morning. He's planning something. He won't tell us what, but judging by what he's already done it can't be good."

Aang lowered his staff and peeked around the buildings once more before ushering them further back into the alleyway. He motioned for them to sit, but only he and Smellerbee did. Longshot remained standing against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

"So, what's he done now?" Aang asked quietly, slightly annoyed.

"Have you come into contact with Princess Azula?"

"Yeah, she's actually about to start teaching me advanced firebending. Why?"

"Did she tell you that she was banished from the Fire Nation?" Aang nodded. "Well, she wasn't really. Jet intercepted a messenger hawk that she was sending to the firelord and decided to have a little 'fun'. He carved out a stamp that matched the royal wax seal on the letter perfectly and sent her a letter back that said she was to be banished for not capturing you, the prince, and General Iroh."

"Just for that reason alone? And she bought that?"

"If she's with you, I guess she did."

"Well, she's not with me at the moment. We split up this morning because her friend's dad is in this town. We heard he was planning another big attack on the city and we came to stop it. The others went on ahead to the Eastern Air Temple with Appa."

"So, who's with you?" she asked.

Aang looked up at Longshot, who was watching him intently. "My group is Katara, Sokka, my earthbending teacher Toph, and Sokka's girlfriend Ty Lee. The other group is Azula, her friend Mai, Zuko, and Alec. And of course, Appa."

Smellerbee didn't bother asking about the three she didn't know. "The man that's here, the governor of Omashu, isn't really supposed to be here."

"Jet's handy work again?"

"Yes. He thought if he relocated him to a place closer to where we were, it would be easier to take him and his family out."

Aang thought back to the baby he'd taken back to that man and shook his head. "I can't let him do that. He's just another puppet in this war, following orders given by his master Ozai. He's just another innocent trapped in the grip of a powerful man, one that would kill you for your defiance without a second thought. Ask Zuko."

"But he wasn't- oh, the scar.."

"Yeah. Will you help me stop him?"

Smellerbee looked up to Longshot, nodded, then turned back to Aang. "We can't. We only came to warn you." She stood up and started to walk away, but turned back to Aang. "I wouldn't tell the princess about this, at least until after she's taught you what you need to know."

Aang nodded to them as they left the alley. He stood up and brushed himself off, flipped open his glider, and took off to join up with his group.

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Mai watched Zuko as they walked. He was once again edging closer to the cliff, but she wouldn't say anything unless he got dangerously close. She noticed his eyes were looking out over the ocean as if entranced by it. _He must be thinking about that waterbender girl_, she thought sadly.

And damn it all if she wasn't right. Zuko's mind hadn't left the thought of Katara since they departed, with exception to the brief discussion of Lieutenant Jee. Those mesmorizing eyes haunted him, drowning him in a pool of blue. Even when they weren't near him, they kept his mind busy and his eyes on the ocean. The ocean was beautiful, yes, but it was merely a second thought compared to the blue of Katara's eyes. He especially loved them at night when the moon and stars shone in them, or at sunset when all the colors blended together in them, or when the sun was high and made them look almost clear when you looked at them from a certain angle, or even on a cloudy day when they seemed to brighten and stand out more. So basically all the time.

She watched as a smile graced his face and her stomach flipped. She quickly looked back down at her feet as warmth rushed to her cheeks. She started fiddling with her fingers beneath the cover of her sleeves. Azula would surely taunt her about it later if she knew what she was thinking.

_Gods, he hot.._

Azula, who'd been watching her feet, glanced up at her brother. It had been almost unbearably silent, save for the occasional grunt from Appa who wasn't used to all the silence considering who he usually traveled with. She hated boring as much as Mai did, but she normally did something about it. Shooting fire at the ground didn't help much, but it was helping none-the-less. Her thoughts were starting to wander again and that was never good. This time they didn't find Sokka, but instead found the letter again. It was a stupid reason and she didn't want to believe it, but it was sent by Fire Nation messenger hawk with the seal and everything.

_Wait a second,_ she thought. _Father never sealed the letters he sent to me. I was the only one who ever did that in the palace. Why didn't I notice that before! How stupid of me! I'm not really banished, I don't have to be here!_

She glanced back over to Zuko, who was straying ever closer to the edge of the cliff. She smirked to herself and all thoughts of revenge clouded her mind. She shook off the feeling of guilt tugging at her mind and heart before she did something none of them saw coming. Zuko was mere inches away from the cliff when he was shoved off so he didn't have time to react before he was sent plunging to a sure death towards the bottom of the ravine. Mai ran to the edge and fell to her knees, reaching out for a feeble attempt to catch him as he disappeared into blue.

"Zuko!"

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**Gah, I'm all excited about the new episode after what they left us with last week! Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter and I'm sorry about the cliffhanger but I can assure you I'm not killing off one of my main characters. I love my Zuzu too much to kill him.. except in one particular drabble, but that didn't count cuz Katara went down with him and it was a Final Fantasy remake. Anywho, I'm semi-detailed about their surroundings because I have the Avatar world map on my comp and I know exactly where they are on it, so.. yeah, just in case you were wondering. You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**

**P.S. New episode this Friday at 8!** **Oct. 20 - "Lake Laogai"**


	28. Chapter 28

_Soo sorry to leave you guys hanging there but my internet got cut off. I actually got time to write 3 more chapters and start the screenplay I've been wanting to write forever. Btw, sorry about the new episode thing. Distant Horizon said it may show on November 3rd instead, but it is titled "Lake Laogai". Anyway, thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did! Well, the ending anyway. Fun!_

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As soon as Zuko left his sight, Appa sprang to life and dove over to catch him before he hit the water, but wasn't fast enough. He hovered over the water, watching and hoping he came back up. His growl could be heard all the way at the top of the ravine.

Mai stood up and watched Appa search for Zuko. "Zuko.." she whispered, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill out.

Azula laughed bitterly. "What do you care?"

Mai turned on Azula, more than ready to fight her friend had she actually been armed. "What'd you do that for? I owe this group my life!"

"It's not my fault my big brother got so close to the edge and slipped off," Azula smirked. "And it's not your fault you couldn't catch him in time."

Mai clenched her fists at her sides, but didn't argue. _Couldn't_ argue. Azula could kill her in one swift movement, especially considering where she was standing. She knew she was defeated.. for now, anyway. "What about the boy?" she whispered.

"That's my girl," Azula said. "I'll handle him."

The girls watched as Appa landed and started growling at Azula, but Alec, who had woken up and was clutching the saddle for dear life, finally let go and tried to calm him down. "What happened? Where's Zuko?"

Azula put on her most distraught face. "He was watching the ocean while we were walking and we didn't even realize how close he was getting to the edge again and.. and.." She buried her face in her hands and pretended to cry. "Now my brother is gone too!" she cried, slightly muffling it with her hands.

Personally, Mai thought it seemed a bit overdramatic but hey, the kid was 7-years old. Of course he's going to buy it.

"I don't buy it," he said sharply, glaring down at the acting girl and conjuring up a fireball in his hand.

_Wow_, Mai thought. _He's awfully smart for his age and he's not afraid of Azula. No wonder they all liked him._

Azula thought quickly and forced tears to her eyes while her face was still buried. She sniffled and pulled her hands away, running them back to her bun and revealing her tear-stained face. _This should do the trick_, she thought. _If he doesn't buy this, my plan is screwed._

Alec thought about it for a second.. or at least pretended to. If he let them stay, then he could watch over them and maybe she would keep pretending until Aang learned a little more firebending. If he didn't, he would have no idea about her whereabouts and they'd have to keep running.

"Fine," he finally said after a few moments of consideration. "But I'm keeping an eye on you." He sat back down on Appa's head and took the reins, trying to lead the bison away but he wouldn't go. "Come on boy, Zuko's gone now," Alec managed as his breath caught up in his chest and he tried to swallow back the lump in his throat. Tears were stinging at his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall.

Mai watched the boy, wanting to comfort him somehow. Kids weren't really her thing even though she had a baby brother, but she'd been there at the hostage trade in Omashu. She knew she called the deal off, but convinced herself it was only because Azula had said something about it. She felt that somehow this whole ordeal had been her fault somehow.

_Maybe it was Azula's plan all along_, she thought. _I should've suspected something._

Finally, Appa gave in to the boy's gentle demands and kept moving along the cliff, but he went sadly. It wasn't quite as bad as losing Aang but just as Zuko had grown to like him, he'd grown to really like Zuko too. Mai and Azula continued to walk in front of the giant beast as if leading him even though he already knew where they were going. His first home. Where he'd been born so long ago. Where he first met Aang.

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Aang landed in front of the group almost grief-stricken at the news he'd just recieved and the really bad feeling he just had. Momo flew to Aang's shoulder as soon as he touched down, noticing the troubled look on his face. _Hopefully Katara doesn't get the same feeling_, he thought as he smiled warmly at them. _She'll freak out_.

"What took so long?" said girl asked. "Is the town really that far away?"

"No, actually another 10 or 15 minutes and we should see it. It's really close to the outer wall of the city, which was a pretty stupid move on their part."

"Can you see the wall?"

"No, but I saw the mountains that sit beside the south end of the wall. You reach the top of those mountains and you could see the wall."

"Is that what took you so long?" Sokka whined. "You went to see some mountains?!"

Aang's smiled faltered noticeably. "Um, no. Actually, I was surveying the area, you know, just to get a good idea of where everything was, including the Fire Nation people we're looking for.. and I kinda ran into some old 'friends'."

"Aw man, did the Fire Nation see you?"

"No.. I ran into Smellerbee and Longshot-"

"Was Jet with them?" Katara asked suddenly, looking around into the trees around them.

"No, they said they left him this morning because he's planning something they didn't want to be a part of," Aang explained. "Smellerbee said he's the one that banished Azula and relocated Mai's dad. He intercepted a Fire Nation messenger hawk and forged the royal wax seal on the letter. It was all a ploy to get rid of the governer and his family and get Azula out of the way."

Ty Lee hopped off of Sokka's back. "So.. Azula's not really banished?"

Aang shook his head sadly. "Hopefully she doesn't figure it out either."

"Zuko.." Katara whispered, looking back over her shoulder. She wanted to run to him. She knew Azula was smart and would figure it out, and if she did.. she could only imagine what his evil sister would do to him. Aang noticed the look on her face and laid a hand on her arm, making her jump.

"Katara, he'll be fine. We should hurry and do what we came here to do so we can get back to him quickly."

"Then let's go," she said dully as she brushed past them all. She quickened her pace and as soon as the town came into view, she broke into an all-out run. Aang had to use his airbending to run faster and stop her before she ran right into the town.

"Katara, stop! We can't risk giving ourselves away before we finish our job here." He was fighting trying to hold her back, but she was amazingly overpowering him. Sokka finally caught up to them and grabbed her, but she kept fighting them. When Toph encased her feet in earth, she threw her water down on it and turned it to mud, then kept moving, drawing the water back up and replacing it in her waterskin.

Finally, Ty Lee moved in to help. Two quick jabs and Katara fell to her knees, legs completely useless now.. well, for a little while anyway. Sokka nodded his thanks as he hoisted her up and carried his little sister.

Ty Lee's mind had been working since Aang told them that Azula wasn't really banished. She knew what Katara must be thinking and why she reacted the way she did, but also knew they didn't need to be caught. A plan had formed in her head as they approached the town, a good plan that didn't involve the others and would hopefully get them out sooner.

"I'm going in alone," she stated.

Sokka turned to her and shook his head. "No, you're not. We'll come up with a plan-"

"I have a plan already," she said quickly, cutting him off. "It's a plan that will work out for the best and it's quick for Katara's sake. And no one gets caught."

Aang let out a small sigh. "Let's hear it then."

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Jet peeked around the building and looked across the street at the inn surrounded by the Fire Nation guards. He studied the building, looking for any possible unguarded entrance or an easily accessible window. After a minute of searching, he spotted a small balcony on the side of the inn near a shop with a low rooftop that he could climb on with no problem.

He looked back to Pipsqueak and nodded. Pipsqueak only stared at him, a blank expression on his face. Jet was about to sneak around and head towards the shop when he saw a pink-clad girl approach the guards. She'd styled her hair a bit differently, but he recognized her immediately.

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"I need to speak with the governor about his daughter, Mai, immediately."

The guards looked between each other, but one recognized her and nodded to the others to let her in. Ty Lee cheerfully bounced in and went to the second floor of the inn, looking for the door with the guards outside. She turned a corner and saw two guards standing outside a door at the end of the hall. They turned to look at her and got into defensive stances, but she held her hands up in peace.

"I'm here to speak with the governor about his daughter. It's urgent, please."

They abandoned their stances and one knocked on the door twice. Ty Lee approached cautiously and could faintly hear noises behind the door. Just then, he poked his head out the door. Before he could ask what they wanted, he saw her.

"Ty Lee, come in! Come in! I wasn't expecting you here. Is Mai with you?" Ty Lee grinned and was ushered into the room. He gestured to a chair opposite the one he sat in and she sat. "So, what brings you here and how did you know I was here?"

Her normally cheery mood fell into a serious one, one that hardly comes out. "You need to leave here immediately. You and your family are in danger here."

"What are you talking about? I can't abandon my post, the firelord sent me here."

"No, he didn't." Ty Lee took a deep breath and pleaded with the gods that he would believe her. "There's a rebel out there named Jet, he's the leader of a group called the Freedom Fighters. He's the one who sent you here." The man was about to speak up but she held her hand up and continued. "He intercepted a Fire Nation messenger hawk and forged the royal seals on the letters he sent you and Princess Azula. He sent you here because it's closer to where he is located and he was planning on taking you and your family out."

His eyes widened at the last little bit of information. He looked over his shoulder as his wife came into the room carrying Tom Tom. He turned his attention back to Ty Lee. "Where is Mai? Is she safe?"

"She's with Princess Azula. They're heading to the Eastern Air Temple as we speak. That's where it was rumored that the Avatar and his friends were heading, so they decided to meet them there. She's safe for now and when I've finished my business here, I'm heading to meet them and inform them of the situation."

"If I may ask, why aren't you with them?"

_Oh no, I didn't think of that!_ she thought. _Quick, think of something believable!_ "Um, Prince Zuko, Mai, and I were captured as prisoners in Ba Sing Sei and the Avatar's group rescued us when they got Zuko. Mai went immediately back to the princess, but I was injured and had to stay a bit longer with them until I was able to leave. I was able to discover that the Avatar has almost completely mastered all the elements, including firebending, and if Azula doesn't capture him soon, he'll be impossible to defeat. He's quite strong for a young boy."

"Then I'll leave you to your task and I guess we'll head back to Omashu and explain to the firelord why we left. Hopefully he'll understand."

"If he doesn't, the princess will," Ty Lee said. "She got a letter that said she was banished. She'll tell her father what's going on once I explain to her what I know. Now leave here as quickly as possible. I'm not sure when he's planning to strike."

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Jet sat on the balcony, which just happened to be outside the governor's room, and listened to everything that blasted girl had told him. He leaned up against the wall beside the door that led out to the balcony, straining to hear more. He peaked in and noticed her standing up and bowing before the older man before she left.

_How did she know what I was planning? I only told.. Smellerbee.._

He felt betrayed, something he hadn't felt in a long time. He figured now since she was gone, he would go ahead and finish this up before they leave for Omashu or New Ozai or whatever they were calling it now. Maybe afterwards, he would head back there anyway to destroy that statue of the firelord they had built. Easy enough..

He peaked back in and saw the governor rushing his wife and baby off to pack, leaving him alone in the living area of their suite. Perfect..

Drawing his hooked swords, he kicked the balcony door open. "Waiting for me?"

He jumped around and was about to call for the guards outside his door, but Jet was too fast. He ran up to him and knocked him out cold. He was about to go after the wife when a sudden gust of wind knocked him against the wall on the other side of the room.

"Stay away from them, Jet!"

Jet slowly turned his head to see the Avatar standing there in the balcony door. He narrowed his eyes at the boy and ran at him swinging his swords. Aang jumped up and over him, then kneeled to check on the governor quickly. As soon as he stood back up, Jet was there again. Aang would've been hit for sure had Momo not interfered once again. He flew in the room at full-speed and landed on Jet's head, covering up his eyes so he couldn't see.

Jet, merely by surprise, dropped his swords and tried to pry Momo off his face. Aang took that opportunity to call for the guards outside the door. When they came in, they were clearly surprised at the scene before them. The Avatar, their supposed enemy, was knelt beside the governor and there was a boy dancing around the room with some kind of white flying monkey on his head.

Aang pointed at Jet, who had finally managed to pull Momo off, and yelled, "He tried to assassinate the governor! Get him!"

They were clearly confused on who to arrest. They went with the boy because, only with the two of them there, they could never take on the Avatar. Believe it or not, they'd overheard the conversation between their lord and the pink girl. She'd said he knew all of his elements and was close to mastering them. No, the two of them could never take him.

At that time, the woman and baby came back into the room. She saw her husband on the floor with the young Avatar beside him and the guards were arresting some boy that she took as the reason for them leaving. Aang looked up and saw her worried face, then smiled when he saw the boy in her arms.

"Good to see you're okay, little guy," he said as Tom Tom wobbled his way to him. Momo landed on Aang's shoulder, but screeched and immediately left as his tail was yanked. His mother cautiously knelt beside them, weary of who exactly she was now next to.

"W-what happened?" she asked.

"Jet attacked him," Aang explained, pointing to the boy who was now being escorted out of the room. "I saw him sneaking in here and knew what he was up to. I came in here just in time. I'm not sure what he would've done to you and your family if I'd been any later."

"Tom Tom, no!" She stood and picked up the child, who was currently sitting on Momo and pulling his ears and tail at the same time. There was a groan from behind her and she looked back to see her husband waking and the Avatar gone. Momo jumped up quickly and took off out the balcony door before that little monster could get him again. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

The governor sat up some and rubbed his head where he'd been hit. "My head hurts. What happened? Where's that boy?"

"The boy was arrested. The Avatar saved you before he could do any further damage."

He nodded. He knew what that meant and was positive the firelord wouldn't understand if he ever told him. The governor of New Ozai now owed the Avatar, enemy of his nation, a life-debt. Much like his daughter, though he didn't know that.

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Pipsqueak watched as Jet was carried out by the arms by two Fire Nation guards and knew it was his time to act. He saw the Avatar go in after Jet and watched him leave just moments before. He moved out of the shadows and strolled right up to the guards, knocking them out with ease. There weren't nearly as many as there had been all the other times he'd fought Fire Nation soldiers, so of course it was easy.

He and Jet quickly made their way from that place, not knowing if they had back-up somewhere close by. When they reached the edge of the woods by the road leading out of town, Jet pulled out his little creation and tossed it on the road, then cut his hand with the dagger from his boot and squeezed blood out on top of it before disappearing into the forest.

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Katara had been sitting against the building, fidgeting with her fingers and waiting for feeling to come back into her legs so she could walk again. Sokka and Toph looked just as impatient. Ty Lee came back and immediately noticed that Aang was missing from the 'happy' little group.

"Where'd he go?" she asked, knowing they knew who she meant.

"To make sure nothing happened to you," Toph said in a bored tone, her eyes closed as she leaned against the wall with her hands tucked behind her head. "Did you not at least catch a glimpse of him somewhere?"

"No." She took a seat beside Sokka and rested her head on his shoulder. "The governor and his family are leaving to go back to Omashu. I'm glad he believed me, I would hate to take news to Mai that her father was killed because he wouldn't listen to me."

Silence. They were all about to fall asleep, or at least they looked that way, when Aang finally showed up. He looked tired and Momo was licking his tail in a roughed up spot.

"What happened to Momo?" Katara asked, finally looking up from her fingers.

"Tom Tom got him," he said, half-smiling. "Jet made his move as soon as Ty Lee left the room and luckily I followed you or who knows what would've happened. I saw him go in and followed. They arrested Jet, but that probably won't last long."

Ty Lee smiled up at him. "You know what this means, right? One of the most important nobles in the Fire Nation and his daughter both owe you life-debts."

"That probably won't change anything though," Aang replied sadly. "He'll still hate me because of what I am. Just another obstacle in the way of a victory." He opened his palm and conjured a small fireball, then just let it sit there and watched it. "It's funny, you know. I'm part firebender and they still want to kill me."

"Hey, they want to kill Zuko and he's a _full_ firebender," Sokka pointed out.

"Not helping, Sokka," Katara said, attempting to stand up so they could go. She was a little wobbly, but refused help to walk. She even helped get a few more supplies for the long trip they had to the Eastern Air Temple now. She just wanted to get out of there fast so she could get back to Zuko.

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Blue.. blue everywhere. It surrounded him, swallowed him, suffocated him. It filled his lungs and eyes and mouth until he couldn't breath. The last thing he remembered seeing was his sister's evil grin and Appa diving after him, then everything went blue. Not black, like he'd expected after a fall like that, but a deep blue. Like her eyes. Like the ocean. Like the sky sometimes. It was after he took in all the blue that the black finally took over.

"I think he's waking up.."

"..leave him on his side so the water will come up easier.."

Voices. Faint, distant, but definitely there. He felt a churning in his stomach and hot fluid gushed up through his throat and out his mouth. He heard gasps as it decorated the ground before him, then felt a warm hand on his arm. He filled his lungs to the brink with the precious oxygen it had been dying for only to throw up again. He panted and gasped for more air and this time that's all he got.

_No more, please_, he pleaded with his mind and stomach.

"Li, are you okay?"

His eyes were still closed but the voice was familiar. "Katara?" he asked hoarsely. He opened his eyes and let them adjust to the pale face in front of him. Not who he expected. Someone he'd hoped not to see again. "S-_Song_?"

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**Gah, I hate that girl but I had to do it. Don't worry, she's not staying long. Anyway, I don't think I really have anything else to say. I'm just bored and should probably go to bed cuz it's almost 1 in the morning here. You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	29. Chapter 29

_Sorry, would've updated sooner but it took a while just to get to 10 reviews. I'll vent later, but now I want to thank the loyal readers who _**did** _take the time to review. Thank you! Now onto the story!_

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"Oh Li, it's been too long!" she squealed as she hugged him tight. He wanted nothing more than for his stomach to betray him and throw up again, preferably on her so she'd stop hugging him. But, for the first time in quite a while, his body actually listened to him. She finally let go and struggled to help him sit up. He felt another pair of hands on his other arm and back and, not to his surprise, they belonged to her mother.

His head swam when he finally reached a sitting position and he had to place a hand down behind him to steady himself. He closed his eyes tight and let the feeling pass before he dared to open them again. He felt a nudge on his back and winced, for it was still quite sore from his fall. When he turned to see what it was, he was face-to-face with an all too familiar ostrich-horse.

"It seems he's taken quite a liking to you, Li," Song's mother, Geia, said. "When we found him, he was quite persistant on leaving us. We presumed he wanted to find you again so we let him take us wherever he was trying to go."

"Thank you for the apology letter," Song said quietly. "It was very well written."

"My uncle wrote it." Zuko looked up at the sky and gazed at the stars sparkling in the night. He couldn't help but think of her. "How long have I been out?"

Song smiled gently. "We found you floating on the water this afternoon, probably an hour or two after midday."

Zuko was racking his mind, trying to remember everything that happened and what he needed to do now. His eyes widened in realization and he jumped up, swaying a bit on his feet. "I need to get to the Eastern Air Temple right away. Either that, or I have to find the Avatar's group."

"What's wrong, Li?" Song asked, placing a gently hand on his arm. He pulled it from her grasp, trying not to be too mean about it. They had, after all, saved his life.

"The Avatar is in danger.. and so is my girlfriend." _Wow, that sounded weird out loud,_ he thought. He fought hard to keep a smile back when Song's face dropped.

"You've met the Avatar?" Geia gasped.

Zuko sighed. "I'm one of his teachers and I've been traveling with him for.. around a month, I believe. We split up into two groups earlier today and he was supposed to meet up with me at the Eastern Air Temple after he and his group did something."

"What are you a teacher of?" Song questioned. "I didn't think you were a bender and surely the young monk doesn't use swords."

He lowered his head so as not to see the expressions on their faces when he lit a flame in his hand. "I'm an outcast firebender, nearly a master but my teacher was just killed at Ba Sing Sei."

"Who was your teacher?"

"My uncle.."

Both of the girls gasped and tears sprang to Song's eyes. She wanted to hate him desperately, but he'd been burned and knew something bad had to have happened to him to have been burned and outcast from his own nation. She unconciously grabbed her leg. "I'm so sorry, Li. Is that even your real name?"

"No. My real name is Zuko. My uncle and I had to hide our real identities or we would've been killed. We're not exactly the most popular people in any of the living nations now."

"Well, firebenders usually don't get welcoming parties in the Earth Kingdom," Geia smiled weakly. "What've you done to be wanted by your own nation as well?"

"I'll just give you the little speech I gave an entire town a while back. My name is Zuko, son of Ursa and Firelord Ozai, prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne. And once this war is over, I promise I'll be the one to take the throne and help the Avatar bring peace to the world again."

Geia's smiled widened ever so slightly. "Well then, I guess we can't dislike you after all, can we? We'll help you find the Avatar. Do you know where he was going?"

Zuko shook his head. "I just know it was some town down the road we were on. They were following a Fire Nation procession because they'd heard plans of another attack on Ba Sing Sei. Do you have a map with you?"

"Of course!" Geia pulled a piece of parchment from the ostrich-horse's saddle bag and unrolled it, revealing a rather detailed map. He ran a finger along the ravine and determined the place he'd fallen in.

"Where are we right now?"

Geia pointed to a spot on the map and it just happened to be on the other side of the ravine. Just his luck. Of course, it was also at the end of it. He looked up and out over the dark ocean, smiling on the inside. _I'm closer to the temple than they are, I'm sure. I can beat them there._

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Alec jumped up, panting hard. _What was that?_ he thought._ Is.. is Zuko alive?_ He looked around his campsite. Mai was asleep by the dying fire, but Azula.. _where is she?_ He turned his head to the other side and was met by two furious golden eyes.

"Have a bad dream?"

"No," he replied coldly. "Just a little unexpected and hopefully true. Guess you couldn't sleep either?"

Azula smirked. She hated the boy so much, but had to keep playing it cool. He was too smart for his own good, as she was sure he'd heard before. "Nope. Everytime I close my eyes, I see my brother falling into that ravine. It's kind of hard to sleep with that image running through your head."

"I know what you mean." Alec knew exactly what she was thinking. She hated him and he knew it. She was playing a very dangerous game with him but he wouldn't fall for her tricks. He looked back at the red embers of the firepit and with one thought, they burst back into life. He picked up a couple sticks beside him and tossed them in.

"That's a handy little trick," Azula said. "Who taught you that?"

"I taught myself everything I know, except meditating of course. Uncle Iroh taught me that while we were in Ba Sing Sei."

Azula shrugged off the guilt that was tugging at her yet again. _Stupid, worthless feelings_, she thought. "You're good for someone who never had a teacher."

"I've lived in the Earth Kingdom almost all my life with my mom. There aren't exactly firebending teachers in great supply around here. My mom said that, judging by how quickly I learned and how powerful I am, I'm a prodigy."

"Join the club," Azula laughed. _This kid is no prodigy, I am the only prodigy around here. He is powerful, I'll admit, but no prodigy.._

"You're a prodigy too? What's the most powerful move you can do?"

"Lightening. I finally mastered it last year."

"That's it? I thought you were a _master _firebender."

Azula looked at the boy quizically. "Excuse me? Lightening is the purest form of firebending. Only a select few firebenders are able to do it. And I am a master."

"Blue flames and lightening don't make you a master. Here, watch this."

Alec stood up and walked a little ways away from Appa, took a deep breath, then started moving each arm in a half circle, sparks jumping off the ends of his fingertips. He touched his fingers together, then shot his hand out at the sky and lightening followed his command. After that, he ran a hand out in front of him and blue flames lit the ground before him.

"See? That's pretty easy, but can you do this?" He put one foot forward and took another deep breath, then summoned something Azula had never seen before in her life. White fire. He shot to big white fireballs at the ground, then watched them die down to blue, then orange, then nothing. "Well?"

Azula's eyes snapped back to the smug look on the child's face, then her pride got the best of her. "Of course I can do that. What kind of master would I be if I couldn't?" She stood up, took a deep breath, and shot her fist at the ground but the most she could do was blue. She growled and tried again, but still blue.

"You can't really do it, can you?"

She wanted to smack that look off his face. The look that said 'I'm better than you'. The white flame was something she'd always wanted to learn since she was young, but there was no one to teach her. The white flame was something she'd read about in her schooling. It hadn't been seen since Firelord Kuzon over 100 years ago, before the war and before Sozin. "I can, I just haven't practiced it in a while. Why don't you use blue or white when you're fighting?"

"Because it takes alot of concentration and usually if I'm needed in a fight, there's no time to sit there and concentrate or you'll get hit before you get it out. I just use what's easy and quick, but I'm practicing. It's not as hard to call now like it used to be when I was still with my mom."

"I guess that makes sense." _Ooh, if it weren't for that stupid bison I would kill this kid right now. I am not supposed to be second best, especially to a 7-year old. I'm supposed to be **THE** best. I'm throwing him off the mountain once that furry beast gets us up to the temple._

"Well, this was fun but I'm going back to sleep. You should try to get some sleep too. We still have at least another week or so before we get to the ocean and Appa has to fly us to the Kunji Mountains."

He laid back on Appa's tail and soon his breathing had evened out. He wasn't asleep because he didn't trust Azula as far as he could throw her, but he wanted to seem asleep so he could watch her in case she tried something. All she did, though, was keep trying to summon the white flame. He knew she was getting very aggravated. She kept stomping the ground when it came out blue.

_I'm better than her and half her age_, he thought amusedly. _Poor little princess.._

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"Sokka, are you asleep?"

"No," he mumbled, opening his eyes and squinting against the glow of the fire. "But I was trying to get there."

"Can I talk to you?"

He sat up in his sleeping bag and noticed the expression on his little sister's face. "Sure," he replied, slipping out of the sleeping bag and taking a seat next to Katara by the fire.

"It's about what happened on the island-"

"Katara, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I need to tell someone and since Zuko isn't here.." She stopped, cleared her throat, and started again. "Um, something happened on the island that's really hard for me to talk about, but as my brother you deserve to know. Not even Zuko knows all the details, just that I was attacked and ended up killing people. It's like I wasn't even myself when I did it.."

_Katara walked out onto the beach. She absolutely had to meditate before she went insane. Being trapped on an island with three crazy guys, firebenders to be exact, was enough to drive a girl mad. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed the other people on the beach. None of them had noticed her yet, but she recognized the captain of the ship and a couple of the crew members that had watched her and Zuko fight on the deck. She got excited and ran to them._

_"Oh, I'm so glad to see more people survived that storm!" she squealed. They all looked at her, a few of them getting mischevious grins. She didn't like the look in their eyes as they stood up and started towards her. "W-what are you doing?"_

_"It's been a while since we seen a girl," one of them said, licking his dry lips._

_"Yeah, that stupid boy never let us near one as soon as we set sail on that ship. Ye aren't the most gorgeous lil' thing but ye'll do just fine."_

_Katara looked around frantically for anything to be used as a weapon, but found nothing. Instead, her panic drove her to run for the water. Two of the guys stomped and she went flying through the air, landing at the water's edge. She jumped up as they all ran at her. Her eyes closed tight, she summoned the water behind her and lashed out at them with all her might._

_A giant water whip knocked all but one guy back. That one guy tackled her to the ground and tried to rip her dress off, but she knocked him away with a good punch to the side of his head. She attempted to get up again, but a rock came flying at her and hit her in the arm. She used her other arm to bend the water and fight them off._

_"She's quite the fighter, eh boys?" They laughed and kept approaching, but the laughter stopped when the first man went down with an ice dagger through the head._

_"Get away from me," she growled, holding her bleeding arm._

_Another one of the men ran at her, ducking her attempts to hit him with her water whips and icicles. He tackled her into the water and she let go a scream as another helped him hold her. She hoped the boys heard her, and they had. She managed to wriggle one arm free and blasted one of the guys all the way back to the trees. The other one went down when a sharp water whip caught him across the throat. She trudged out of the water and dodged the other three that came at her._

_"I said get away."_

_Three large icicles formed in front of her and all three of the men were sent flying across the blood-stained beach. After all that, she wanted nothing more than to pass out and so she did._

"Wow," Sokka started. "No wonder you didn't want to talk about it. I'm sorry for pushing it on the ship. If I'd known it was anything like that, I wouldn't have mentioned it again."

"No, it's okay, I needed to talk about it," she said. "I think it did kind of help. Thanks alot, Sokka."

"For what?"

"For listening and not acting like I thought you would."

She stood up and hugged him before slipping into her own sleeping bag. He watched her as she fell asleep and smiled. His eyes slowly traveled back to the fire, which was still burning pretty bright. At the very bottom of the flames, he caught traces of blue. It reminded him of Azula. He cursed himself for that and got back in his sleeping bag and scooted it closer to where Ty Lee slept. He sat back up when his hand ran over something unfamiliar on the ground. He picked it up and examined it in the light of the fire.

"Yuu Yan archers?"

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_Good, they're asleep.._

Zuko slowly and quietly got up and made his way to the ostrich-horse that seemed so intent on finding him again. He dug through the saddle bags and found a blank piece of parchment and a pen, lucky him. He sat down and wrote quickly.

_Geia and Song-_

_I apologize once again for taking your ostrich-horse, but I have a very important mission and I can't risk you two getting hurt along the way. There is a town within walking distance and I want you to go there. The town is full of nice people and I'm sure one of them wouldn't mind helping you back to your home. I'll send your ostrich-horse back once I reach my destination._

_I sincerely thank you for your help, but I must keep moving. Maybe we'll meet again._

_-Crown Prince Zuko_

He looked at his signature oddly, but decided to leave it. After all, it was his birthright and he would have the throne back very soon. He left the note on a tree stump near where he was laying and woke up the animal. He settled himself in the saddle and they took off on another adventure and he could somehow tell that the ostrich-horse was happy about that. Looking up at the moon, he decided it was about 2 or so in the morning. He'd be long gone before they woke up.

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**There's that explanation, finally. I wasn't sure when to stick it in. Anyway, I hope more than 11 people out of my 79 subscribers actually review this time. What if I say please? Oh, you _have_ to review anyway so you can tell me if it would be cheesy to bring Ursa back in. Yes? No? Maybe? Anything! Well, you know the routine. R&R!**

**Jenn**

**And don't forget to have a great Halloween! I'll have my baby's First Halloween pictures up on my profile soon. Also, remember the new episode on November 3rd!**


	30. Chapter 30

_So those of you who voted liked Ursa coming back. Yay! And thanks to those who reviewed again. I love my reviewers! I had a great Halloween, I hope everyone else did too. I'll be putting my daughter's First Halloween picture on my profile here in just a little bit. You should see it, it's adorable! Anyway, here's the next chapter!_

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"Do you know of any ships going to the Kungi Mountains?"

"You mean them mountains where all them Air people lived?"

"Um, yeah."

"Nope! But for a small fee, I could take ya up there myself in my fishin' boat."

Zuko felt around in his pockets for any money and came up with two copper pieces. "This is all I have."

"Then I suggest ya find yerself a job and make a little more before I leave this afternoon."

Zuko grumbled something under his breath and walked away. He didn't have time to work for money, he needed to leave now. If his uncle were there, he would try to make him perform for money, but there was no way he was lowering himself to that. He walked between shops and behind buildings until he got back into the woods behind the town. He felt around for his mask and slid it over his face. He was glad it hadn't gotten lost when he fell into the ravine, even more glad he survived it period.

"I guess it's time for the Blue Spirit to make a little money," he whispered to himself. "I'm sorry, Uncle."

He snuck back down into the town and crept along the rooftops until he spotted a man in fine silk robes. He was stuck-up and rude to anyone who talked to him and Zuko decided he was the perfect target. He watched and waited for the man to pull out his money pouch to pay for some useless piece of junk statue, then he jumped down with his swords drawn. It scared the man so badly that he dropped the money and ran. Zuko quickly picked up the bag and jumped back up on the roof and disappeared into the woods before anyone knew what happened.

_Well, that was easy,_ he thought. He hid the mask again and waited a few minutes before taking the main road back into town. He stuck the money pouch inside his robes and decided he was going to need a few supplies before he left. He was positive they didn't exactly have a fully stocked kitchen at the temple. The clothes he'd bought in Ba Sing Sei should still be packed up on Appa, that is if Aang even got them, so hopefully he didn't have to worry about that. He stopped at a nearby food stand and stocked up. He wasn't sure if he should get fruits or not because it was summer and they might be in great supply up there.

"Ya got yer money already, boy?"

"I borrowed some from an old friend in this area," Zuko replied casually, handing the old man a couple silver pieces. "Will that do?"

"That'll do just fine, thank ya. Ya ready to go? The sooner we leave, the better, eh?" The old man laughed, but Zuko didn't find the joke in it and kept a straight face. "Alright, boy. Let's head out." Zuko nodded and boarded the rickety old boat with the man. "By the way, what's yer name?"

"Just call me Li."

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"We should be reaching the end of this peninsula today," Alec said from atop Appa's head. "Probably this evening, then Appa will have to fly us over the ocean to the mountains."

"Good, I was starting to get bored with the same scenery for the past week or so," Mai grumbled.

"It hasn't really been the same," Alec started. "There are no more trees now and we can kind of see the ocean way over there." He pointed off to the side and you could catch a glimpse of blue if you looked hard enough. The peninsula was getting smaller, meaning they were almost at the end.

"More ocean and no trees, that's a _big_ change."

They heard little squeaking noises and Azula noticed little furry creatures poking their heads out of the ground. Alec jumped up and grinned. "Hey, Aang told me about those things! Make a noise and they'll mimic it!"

Azula cocked her head at the little animals, but tried it anyway. "Aaah."

"_Aaah_!"

Alec giggled and did one. "Ah!"

"_Ah_!"

"Come on, Mai, try it! It's fun!" he laughed.

"I'd rather not."

"Just one note, pleeease!"

Mai sighed and shook her head. "Ah."

"_Ah_!"

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but she held it back. It was a little bit funny, she had to admit, but she really wasn't in the mood to play games. She was just in a hurry to get to the temple so they could stop walking everyday and just relax until the Avatar showed up. She was also hoping to find a town nearby because she was sure they were running low on supplies by now, but the chances of finding a town this far out here was pretty low. Luckily, Alec had thought to gather sticks to keep their fires burning at night.

"So, this evening huh?"

"Should be."

"Let's hope so. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can sit back and relax a little."

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The biggest group seemed to be moving faster than the smaller one, probably because Alec and Appa were with them. They'd passed the other group's former campsites and determined they were still two or three days away from the end of the peninsula.

"I wonder if they're up there yet. Oh, I can't wait to see it."

"You guys will love it up there," Aang sighed. "I think it's the most beautiful of all the Air Temples. That's where they took us to get our bison. I hope the Fire Nation didn't do too much damage to that place.."

Katara looked sadly at the monk and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure it's fine. It can't get any worse than the Northern Temple, right?"

"Come on, Aang!" Sokka yelled cheerfully, putting an arm around the boy's shoulders. "Where's the optimism that we've all gotten used to? Think positive!"

Aang smiled. "You're right. It's probably perfectly intact! I wonder if any of the animals are still there. That's where they raised the bison, hopefully there are still at least a couple left. I'd hate to see them die out with Appa."

"Optimism, Aang! _Op-ti-mis-m!_ Positive!"

"_Realism._ I have to start thinking realistically, Sokka. That's all part of growing up, right?"

"Oh, come on. Even I think positive most of the time," Katara said. "And I'm sure Ty Lee does too."

"Uh huh!" she called from in front of them in mid-flip. "Everything will be fine! More than fine!"

"You grow up how you want to grow up, not how others think you should grow up. Personally, I think we're all a little more grown up than we should be, given our current situation."

Aang laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Katara."

"Do you think Zuko is okay?" she asked suddenly.

"I'm sure he's fine," Toph reassured her. "He and Alec together can handle those girls if anything happens."

Katara sighed heavily and furrowed her brow. "I don't know, I just have a strange feeling he isn't with them anymore. I've had it for a few days, but.. I don't know, maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"Maybe," Aang laughed nervously. He knew exactly what she was talking about. That feeling had been tugging at him for a while, but he was afraid to tell her.

"You don't think they're following us, do you?" Sokka asked from nowhere.

"The archers?"

"Yeah."

Aang squinted into the surrounding trees, but knew that wouldn't help. "I'm not sure. Last time, they just jumped out and started shooting at me. You would think they'd do the same here."

"Unless they're trying to see where you're going first," Katara suggested.

"If they are following us, I think I'd feel them," Toph said nonchalantly. "They're probably still back in that town or following the governor back to Omashu or something."

"I don't know, they're pretty dangerous people from what I've heard," Sokka told them. "I think they would've been sent out for more than just guard duty. I mean, they have captured Aang before. Who's to say they're not out to do it again?"

"Well, if Toph can't see them then we should be safe for now. Let's just concentrate on getting to the temple as fast as we can." Katara unconciously picked up a little speed.

Aang sighed as he looked up to find an Appa-shaped cloud. "I miss Appa."

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Zuko was amazed at just how fast this fishing boat was moving. He could see the shoreline already and it'd only been a couple hours. He walked back to where the old man was steering and asked, "How come this thing is so fast?"

He laughed and said, "A boatmaker ne'er reveals his secrets, mate."

"You built this boat?"

"With all 10 of me fingers and 5 years of me life. Never been so proud when I took her out to sea for the first time. True, she's needed a fix here and there, but she's still runnin' good and fast like I built her. So, I guess yer accustomed to the sea life, lad?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Ye don't look a bit sea-sick."

"You could say that. I've been living on a ship for the last 3 years of my life before I started traveling on land again, and with the Avatar no less. What a crazy journey that's been."

The man's eyes widened significantly. "With the Avatar, ye say? Did he get his flyin' animal back?"

Zuko looked at the man strange. "He never lost him, why?"

"I figured maybe he'd lost him 'cause I seen one flyin' around here recently. Heck, maybe there's still a couple at that there temple yer goin' to. So, what were ya travelin' with him fer?"

"I'm his firebending teacher."

"Ah, well at least yer puttin' them flames to some good use, eh boy?" he laughed. "Though I ain't ever heard the name Li in the Fire Nation. Wouldn't it be more of an Earth Kingdom name?"

"I was born in the Earth Kingdom and lived there with my mother before she died. My father was a firebender, but he's fighting in the war," he quickly lied, pretty much taking Alec's story. "I guess that's where I got my bending skills, but I could never really use them. People these days, you know. They'd get suspicious and think I'm some sort of spy for the Fire Nation. Truth is, I've never met anyone from there except my father."

"Sad story it is, lad. Where is the boy now? The Avatar?"

"On his way to the temple we're heading to. I got seperated from them a few days ago, I figured I'd go ahead and meet them up here."

"Well, good luck gettin' up them mountains. Mighty steep, I tell ya, though one woman seemed to manage some years ago. Haven't heard from'er since. Awful purdy, she was."

Zuko wasn't going to ask because it kind of sounded personal, but his curiosity got the best of him. "Someone else came to the mountains? Did she say who she was or why she was coming here?"

"Nope. She just said she done somethin' awful and needed to find sanctuary. She thought maybe the Avatar would come back to the world and to this place and help her. Her eyes matched yours, all golden and what not, but awful purdy like her."

"How long ago?"

"My, my, fulla questions, aren't we? I'd say about.. 7, maybe 8 years ago I think. Why are you so interested in this girl? You know her? I think she looked a might bit old for yourself, but 'tis none of my business."

"I might know her," he said quietly, hoping and praying to Agni and Yue and La and all the gods and spirits he knew of that it was who he was thinking. His heart twisted up in his chest, but he knew better than to get his hopes up. It'd been many years and he wasn't sure the place was even still livable.

Less than an hour later, the oddly fast boat pulled up near the beach at the foot of a rather tall and steep mountain. It looked like it had once had a dock, but it was now merely boards on the sand. The old man bid Zuko goodbye and good luck as he jumped over the side of the ship and swam to shore with his bag over his shoulder. He stopped to look up at the mountain before him, sighed, then began the long, fairly dangerous climb up. He seriously hoped he had the right one because that was an awful lot of climbing for nothing.

He reached a small slab of earth jutting out from the rest of the mountain and sat down for a breather. The wind picked up just a bit and he swore he heard the faint sound of singing swirling all around him. Hope jumped up in his throat and filled him with an extra boost of energy. He found the top and sure enough, there was a temple there. He climbed up the rest of the way and began running along the small paths. When he came around one side of the mountain, he saw something he wasn't really expecting.

"Another temple? How many did these people need?"

"They say one of them housed the women airbenders," said a kind voice from just above him. "Who are you and why are you here?"

He hesitated before looking up. There, a beautiful woman with long flowing hair was lying on her stomach watching the new visitor. He felt hot tears rushing to his eyes and fought back the urge to cry. "M-mom?" he whispered.

The woman's eyes widened and she sat up some as she realized who the scarred young man with the short hair was. "Can it be? Is it.. is it my _Zuko_?"

She gracefully jumped down and pulled him into a hug that seemed to last forever. He let himself cry only a bit on her shoulder as he held her tight as if she would disappear again. "Mom, what happened to you? Why are you here?" he asked as he finally let go.

She took a deep breath and took his hand, leading him further down the path. "It seems we have years of catching up to do. I've actually been expecting you, but not so soon. Come, there's someone I want you to meet."

"Right now? We need to prepare for more arrivals."

"Who is coming?"

"The first group is my sister, her friend Mai, another young firebender that I met, and my good friend Appa the flying bison. A few days after they get here, the Avatar and the rest of my friends should be here."

"Why exactly is your sister coming?"

He laughed. "I'll tell you as we get things ready." He heard a loud noise from above his head and looked up to see a bison flying over them. "Appa?"

"No, that's my good friend Kia. She and two others were here when I came here. I had hoped to possibly see some airbenders that survived the attack, but I've been here for years and not seen one."

"Well, let's prepare and I'll fill you in, okay?"

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The sun was setting and they could tell the end of the peninsula was near by the narrowing of the land around them. Alec was half-asleep on the saddle and the girls looked as if they were about to fall asleep as well.

"Can we take the bison from here?" Mai asked him.

"I guess so," Alec yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "We're close enough anyway." The two girls climbed up on Appa and relaxed some in the saddle as Alec said, "Yip yip! You know where to go, buddy."

Appa groaned in response and lifted off, making Azula yelp a bit and grab the saddle. Mai snickered quietly at her and received a glare at the girl holding on to the saddle for dear life. Appa flew happily in and out of the clouds, making Azula nauseous. After a little while, dark had settled over them and the clouds had disappeared. Appa spotted the mountains ahead and sped up greatly, eager to get to his old home. Alec and Mai sat up when they felt Appa jerk forward and were greeted with a wonderous sight.

"The Eastern Air Temple," they whispered together.

"There's more to it than I expected," Mai said quietly so as not to wake Azula.

Alec nodded in agreement and watched in fascination as they passed one part. Appa obviously knew what he was doing. He found the spot he was looking for and landed gently. There in the shadows was something none of them had expected.

"Zuko!" Alec yelled, jumping off Appa's head and running into the arms of the older boy. "We thought you were dead!"

"I'm so sorry, I tried to catch you but I couldn't-" Mai was cut off when Zuko held a hand up.

"I know, Mai. It's alright. Where is Azula?"

"Sleeping in the saddle. We've had kind of a long day."

"Zuko, dear, let me wake her," called a voice from the shadows.

Mai looked in that direction and immediately fell to her knees. "Lady Ursa!"

Ursa giggled and walked to Mai. "Please rise, there's no need for that here." As Mai stood up, she walked past to climb into Appa's saddle. She knelt down beside the sleeping princess and shook her shoulder gently. "Azula, sweetie, wake up."

Azula's eyes fluttered open and looked into the face of her mother. "Mom?" she whispered sleepily. Suddenly, she was fully awake and she jumped up. "Mom? What are you doing here?"

"Let's get you settled into your rooms first, then we'll talk in the morning. Zuko, dear, will you unsaddle your friend so he can join the others?"

Appa and Azula both looked up, but with very different thoughts. Azula saw her very alive and healthy-looking brother and Appa was cheering on the inside when he heard there were more.

"I-is this a dream? Am I having some strange dream?" Azula asked worriedly, looking between the two people she thought dead.

"You need some sleep, Azula," Ursa said, ushering her and the others inside. Zuko had lit the torches in the hallways so they could see and soon everyone was settled into a room. Azula and Mai were asleep almost immediately, Alec had passed out on Zuko's back on the way to their rooms, and Zuko himself went to bed soon after. Ursa was so happy, she felt like she could jump off the mountain and fly at that moment.. and so she did. And Kia was waiting for her below to catch her.

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"Hey guys, that feeling went away," Katara said sleepily as she was preparing for bed.

"What feeling?"

"That Zuko wasn't with the rest of them anymore. It just.. went away."

"Maybe they're back together," Sokka yawned, sliding into his sleeping bag. "Maybe they're at the temple now."

Aang settled into his sleeping bag and Momo curled up on his lap. "I think they are. I can feel it."

"Do you think we'll be there soon?" Katara asked.

"Within the next couple of days, hopefully."

"Well, this land is coming to an end soon," said a very drowsy Toph as she laid on her stomach on the ground. "It's far enough to where I can't feel the end, but I can feel it narrowing and that means the end isn't far."

"Good, I can't wait to get there," Katara sighed, crossing her arms under her head to stare up at the sky. She smiled at the moon and whispered it a goodnight before falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.

_"It's been a while, Katara."_

_She looked up and saw Yue standing before her. She smiled but before she could get up, Yue sat beside her. "It _has_ been a while. What brings you here?"_

_"There's a great surprise waiting for you at the Eastern Air Temple. One even your precious Zuko wept for."_

_"Zuko cried?"_

_She giggled and nodded. "Appa had his own surprise as well. You should all arrive in a couple of days on foot, but I'll have Appa sent for you so you can arrive sooner."_

_"That sounds nice. Thanks alot, Yue."_

_"I help any way I can. Now, I want to visit Sokka before the night is up," she grinned._

_Katara laughed. "Okay, but don't take him anywhere. I need him."_

_"I know," she whispered as she started to fade. "And goodnight to you too, Katara."_

Katara jumped up and looked around. No Yue. She looked at her brother and smiled upon seeing a grin on his face as well. She saw his lips move and faintly heard what he said.

_"I miss you.."_

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**Hope you liked it! I did. You'll find out who Ursa's "friend" is in the next chapter. Yet another familiar face. Couldn't help myself! Anyway, I'm cutting my A/N short because I have to take Kaybri to the doctor. You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	31. Chapter 31

_Gah, I'm so excited! I want to thank _**Song of the Storm**_ for getting me over the 500 review mark! I appreciate you reviewing every chapter, it's much appreciated!  
Anyway, I'm even more excited cuz someone found spoilers for the season finale! Zutara is happening!!! (screams and jumps up and down) Well, here's the next chapter!_

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"A little while after the meeting with your grandfather, your father sought me out to speak with me. Your grandfather told him that he would not revoke Iroh's birthright and he should know the pain of losing a first born son by sacrificing his own as punishment."

"I _told_ you I wasn't lying," Azula whispered harshly at her older brother.

"Azula, please. I wouldn't let him harm you, Zuko, and I told him that. He said that if I wanted him to spare your life, I had to kill your grandfather and make sure that he was named firelord instead of Iroh. I didn't want to, but it was either him or you and I chose him. That night, I slipped a drug into his evening tea that caused him to have a heart attack in the night, then after I visited you, I had to leave. I was afraid to stay. I came here hoping and praying to the gods that the Avatar would come back and help me and it seems they listened after all."

"How is he supposed to help you?" Alec asked.

Ursa smiled at the boy and couldn't help thinking how much he looked like a young Zuko. "I know the comet is coming soon and it's supposed to bring about the end of the war, but not without great destruction and the loss of many lives. He would be helping me by defeating your father, but also by listening to me. I've learned many things about your father through the years that we were together, including weaknesses."

Azula and Zuko both gasped. "_Father has a weakness_?"

"Everyone has a weakness," Ursa told them. "Even you, Azula."

Azula scoffed and crossed her arms, but knew she was right. She hated weaknesses, but they weren't exactly avoidable. Everyone has a weakness. Hers just happened to be in the form of a certain boy, though she wouldn't openly admit it. She vowed she would have him in the end, though.

Their conversation was interrupted when Appa landed beside them all, nudging his saddle on the ground. Zuko stood up and went to pet him, then smiled as he figured out what Appa was trying to do. He unloaded the saddle and Appa laid down so he could get it on, then he was off.

"Where's he going?" Alec asked Zuko, tugging on his sleeve.

"To find Aang and the others."

"So.. they'll be here soon?"

"I hope so."

Zuko picked up the bags he'd taken from the saddle and started digging through them, hoping Aang hadn't left his new clothes. He hadn't even gotten a chance to wear them yet. A few minutes and two bags later, he finally found one of the dark red robes he'd bought. He pulled it out and something fell on the ground as it unfolded.

"What-"

Zuko's breath caught up in his throat when he saw what it was. His uncle's favorite Lotus tile. _Why did Aang pack that?_ He gingerly picked it up and ran his thumb over it before closing it in his fist.

His mother walked to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Zuko, what is it?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, standing up to go back to his room.

When he was gone, Alec sat down beside Ursa and said, "It was Uncle Iroh's Lotus tile. I saw it before he picked it up. I guess he's still pretty sad."

"Sad? Did something happen to Iroh?"

Azula looked up, almost surprised. "You mean he didn't tell you?"

"There was an attack on Ba Sing Sei," Alec started. "I wasn't there for it all because Iroh made me sit on the wall and stay out of the way, but I was there for the end. One of the earthbenders on the wall helped me down and I saw Azula about to attack everyone, so I hit her with a fireball. She shot lightening at me, but Iroh jumped in front of it and it killed him."

Azula was looking down into her lap, picking absently at her fingernails. Mai hadn't heard the entire story before, she only knew that Azula had killed him, and her eyes widened ever so slightly as Alec told Ursa the story. Ursa looked to Azula with tear-filled eyes.

"How have you become so much like your father? So cruel and almost completely heartless?"

The girl looked up finally and met her mother's eyes. "What do you mean 'almost'? I don't think he has one at all. That's why it's so easy for him to kill people. That's only one of two differences between me and him. I have a heart. It wasn't easy for me to see him die like that. I may not have liked him much, but he was still family to me and I felt guilt for the first time that I could remember."

"Your father has a little of his heart left. I believe I took that when I left him. He may have been cruel and mean, but never to me. That, I believe, is _one_ of his weaknesses. His love for me."

Azula cocked her head. "I thought it was an arranged marriage like all Fire Nation royalty and nobles."

"It was, but as time passed we grew to love each other. How do you think we managed to have two heirs instead of just the one that is required?"

"Ew, mother, please spare me the details," Azula quickly said, holding her hand up before her. "I already ate this morning."

Ursa stood up and smiled. "I think I'll go talk to Zuko now. From what I hear, he needs to have 'the talk' that his father most likely never gave him."

Mai cringed, but at the same time wanted to laugh. She could only imagine how uncomfortable Zuko was going to be for that and she wanted to watch just because it would be funny. 'The talk' was something she never enjoyed herself.

"I wonder when they'll be here.." Alec sighed, laying back to look at the clouds.

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Katara was quietly humming an old Water Tribe song as they walked along that day. It had been rather quiet between the group that day so far, but no one was complaining. Sokka's moods kept switching between sad and happy, but only Katara noticed because she was looking at him frequently. She knew about his visit last night and it somewhat worried her.

_I wonder if there's anything I can do to help_, she wondered. Just then, something caught her eye. "Look, it's Appa!"

Aang looked up and sure enough, there was his best friend flying at them. It was a couple hours after noon and they'd been walking for about 6 hours or so, all hoping to reach the end of the peninsula by that evening but even hope wouldn't have gotten them there until the next day. They were all very glad to see the bison.

Appa groaned as he landed and Aang jumped on his head and hugged him. "Appa! I missed you, buddy!"

Katara and Ty Lee jumped up there instantly with Sokka and Toph trailing behind. Aang had the reins and they lifted off into the sky. Katara leaned over the side, missing the feel of flying through the clouds on the bison's back. She missed the days when they first started on their adventure, when it had been just the three of them with Zuko chasing behind them the whole way to the North Pole. At least then they weren't so bored.

_I'll save you from the pirates.._

She laughed to herself. No, they weren't bored.

"I guess Appa being here means they've already made it to the temple," Sokka said, pointing out the painfully obvious yet again.

Toph rolled her blind eyes and smirked. "You think?"

Sokka frowned at her but didn't say anything else. It actually made him feel stupid, but it was one of those 'speak before you think' moments he usually had, like his sexist moments with Katara. He sat back and rested his arms behind his head, staring up at the sky. Ty Lee laid down a little and rested her head on his chest. Katara smiled knowing that she'd be seeing Zuko soon. It almost made her giddy.

She leaned back over the side and watched the water. She noticed a small boat below them, but didn't say anything. It looked like a fishing boat, no real threat there right? But she couldn't help but wonder where it had come from. She looked around but couldn't see any other land nearby and there wasn't a town anywhere on the land she could see. From what she could tell, it was moving pretty fast.

More silence. It had been unusually quiet all day, but at the same time it was a peaceful quiet. Appa wasn't expecting that from them. He'd never known his group to be that quiet, especially his Aang. He grunted loudly, catching everyone's attention.

"What's the matter, buddy?" Aang asked, petting his head.

"He's probably not used to all the silence. Well, not with _us_ anyway," Katara told him in a bored voice. "Are we almost there? Can you tell?"

Aang squinted his eyes and looked ahead of them, then looked around them and up at the sky. "I'd say we'll be there in about.. 2 or 3 hours, depending on Appa."

"That figures."

"Hey look! The lion-turtles I showed you in that scroll from the library!"

"Aang, no!"

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"Zuko, sweetie, can I talk to you?"

Zuko looked up at his mother, who was standing in the doorway of his room. He looked hesitant at first, but then realized who he was talking to and nodded. She walked in and sat on his bed beside him. She noticed he was still holding onto the Pai Sho tile.

"Why didn't you tell me about your uncle?"

"It's hard to talk about, kind of like my banishment was before I finally accepted it and did something about it."

"It always helps to talk about things."

"I know, I learned that a while back," he sighed, remembering and deeply missing Katara.

"You know what? I was going to talk to you, but I have a better idea. Let's go meet that friend I told you about. I believe she's still in the other part of the temple."

Ursa stood up and smiled down at her son, urging him with her eyes to come along. He sighed and stood up with a small smile, then followed her through the halls and over a bridge that he was very hesitant about crossing because of how high up they were.

"I've been higher than this on a flying bison," he mumbled to himself as he looked over the rail at the long fall. "I shouldn't be afraid of this." But being on the back of Appa was different. At least he would try to catch you. Bridges couldn't.

She stopped in front of a door and knocked. Zuko looked at her happy face, then back at the door as it opened and an old, somewhat familiar-looking woman appeared. She looked at him and smiled.

"Well, I've been expecting you. Come in, please."

Zuko looked a bit reluctant at first, but his mother's hand on the small of his back made him enter the room. The woman gestured to a cushion on the floor beside a small table in the center of the room, where she had four candles lit. As he sat, the woman continued to smile warmly at him. He noticed his mother hadn't come in, but shook it off thinking she had a good reason for leaving him alone with this strange woman. She offered him some tea and he surprisingly didn't refuse.

"Where is the handsome man you traveled with that turned down a reading?"

Zuko closed his eyes and shook his head, now remembering exactly where he remembered her from. "He was killed."

"By your own sister, am I correct? I had a feeling. I'm very sorry for your loss, Prince Zuko."

"Who are you and why are you here?"

"You can call me Aunt Wu. I'm a fortune teller and I came here to try to be of more assistance to the young Avatar. I had a dream one night, well I guess it was more like a vision if you will, that told me to come here. I've spoken with the Avatar and his friends before, but in my vision there was a woman, the same woman that brought you to me. She is connected to the firelord spiritually and I decided Aang needed another reading so I came here."

He looked doubtful, then asked, "So, what did you want with me?"

"I wanted to give you a reading," she stated simply, holding out her hand.

"I don't believe in that stuff."

"Neither did the Water Tribe warrior, but he himself saw my predictions come true right before his own eyes." When she didn't see the doubtful look in his eyes falter, she added, "What could it hurt anyway?"

He sighed and placed his hand in hers. He grew stiff and he fought back the urge to scratch his hand as she softly traced the lifelines along his palm. She smiled and nodded, then her face became serious as she traced a line along the center of his palm.

"You play a great role in the ending of this war," she started. "It seems you and the Avatar will be sharing the same battlefield. And the waterbender..." Mischief obvious in her voice, "...it seems as though your lives are intertwined a great deal. I guess I get to meet the handsome, powerful bender she's supposed to marry after all."

Zuko almost choked on his tea. "W-_what_?!" he sputtered.

"She's heard almost her whole life, but not the name of the man she was destined to be with. I even gave her a little bit of a description, but I suppose she'd forgotten about that after all the commotion that went on that day. I want you to tell me something. What did your uncle tell you about why your lightening kept blowing up?"

She looked up from his hand and smiled knowingly. He cocked his head, but answered. "He said I wouldn't be able to do it until I've dealt with the turmoil inside me. He told me to let go of my feelings of shame."

"Well, I'd suggest you finish your tea and go practice," she said, sitting back a little.

Zuko stood up and bowed to her. "Thank you."

"You're quite welcome," she called as he left the room. "He's going to make a wonderful firelord.."

Zuko could barely hold his excitement in when he reached an old landing platform. He took a deep breath to calm himself before moving his arms about to seperate the positive and negative energies. He could feel his chi flowing through his entire body as sparks jumped off his fingertips. When his fingertips touched and his hand shot towards the sky, the lightening that left almost hit a good friend.

"Appa!" he yelled as the bison recovered from the near miss and started descending to the platform. He ran out of the way so Appa could land, then tackled Katara in a hug when she jumped off to do the same to him. They fell to the ground in a heap of dark red and blue, burying themselves in each other's embrace. Ty Lee giggled at the sight and squeezed Sokka's hand. He smiled as he watched his sister being held by the man that was becoming more like a brother to him than he ever thought possible, especially considering their history.

"I missed you so much," Katara whispered into Zuko's neck. She pulled her head back some, but came right back and kissed him.

He cupped her face in his hands and let himself enjoy the kiss before she broke it. "You have no idea what I've been through since we split up. I needed that."

"We would've been here sooner, but Aang just _had_ to ride the lion-turtles we saw on the way here," Sokka explained sarcastically as he jumped down.

"Hey, it's not everyday you see them!" Aang argued. "Actually, they're rarely ever seen above water because they're so elusive. They were traveling north to have their babies, I presume."

"Oh, we're _so_ lucky."

Katara laughed and they finally got up off the ground. She looked around and gasped at how beautiful the place was. Zuko took her hand and led her and the group around, though Aang already knew his way around the place. He took them to the part of the temple that he and the others were staying, except for Aunt Wu of course. Apparently she enjoyed her privacy.

"Katara!" Alec squealed the second he caught sight of her. He jumped up and ran to her, hugging her around the waist. She giggled and patted his head, then kept walking as Zuko continued to lead them on. Finally, they came to a big room that opened up to a great balcony that overlooked the other two parts of the temple and the beautiful scenery all around them.

"This is breathtaking," Ty Lee gasped as she leaned over the rail.

"This place has barely changed at all," Aang grinned. "Hey, there are more bison down there!"

"Oh wow!" Ty Lee exclaimed when she followed Aang's finger to the bison that were grazing nearby. "More Appas! Hey, one of them is fat!" Everyone laughed at her, then turned around quickly as a voice reached their ears.

"She's pregnant."

Aang's hope went up when he saw the woman. She looked almost exactly like one of the past airbender Avatars. "Are you an airbender?"

"No," she laughed. "My name is Ursa. I'm Zuko and Azula's mother. I came here a few years ago looking for sactuary and waiting for you, Avatar." Katara's jaw dropped and Ty Lee fell to her knees. "Please stand up, Ty Lee. Here, I'm not royalty so there's no need for the formalities."

"You remember me?"

"Azula only had two playmates and your names aren't hard to forget," she smiled. Her eyes fell on the girl in blue who was still staring at her. "You must be Katara. It seems Zuko has taken quite a liking to you."

Katara blushed and started playing with her fingers, a small smile playing across her lips. Zuko smiled as he watched her fidgeting and nudged her a bit with his elbow. Her smiled widened when she looked up at him and elbowed him back.

"Zuko, what did she tell you?" Ursa asked.

A confused look crossed his face before he realized what she was talking about. "Oh yeah, just a few things about my future. She also helped me realize I could do lightening too. I'd forgotten what Uncle told me and when she reminded me, I did it."

"Yeah, and you almost hit us," Aang giggled.

"It's about time you got that move, brother," Azula mocked as she walked in, Mai on her tail.

Zuko had restrained himself from attacking her since she arrived at the temple after what she did to him, but he knew she was up to something. She was planning something and he wanted to know what it was. So he resolved to glaring at her. "I just needed a little more guidance."

"Who are you talking about?" Katara questioned curiously.

"An old fortune teller named Aunt Wu," he replied.

"She's here?!"

Aang stepped forward with a somewhat concerned look on his face. "She's here for me, isn't she?" Zuko nodded. "Take me to her, please."

"I'll be right back," he whispered to Katara, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. He and Aang walked off and she was tempted to follow, but she wasn't sure if Aunt Wu would even do another reading for her after the last encounter. She'd heard practically her whole life.

_The man you are going to marry is a powerful bender._

"Wow, a fortune teller?" Ty Lee gasped, snapping Katara from her thoughts. "Hey, maybe I can visit her after a while! I wouldn't mind hearing my fortune."

"You mean you believe in that stuff?" Sokka scoffed. "I think it's all a bunch of garbage."

Katara grinned at her brother. "Hey Sokka, did I ever tell you what she predicted for me?"

"You were in there long enough to hear your whole life."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "She told me I would marry a powerful bender. I thought it was Aang at first because later that day with the lava, you mentioned how powerful a bender he was. It's Zuko."

"That doesn't mean anything. You probably wouldn't go for anyone who wasn't a bender anyway.. or they wouldn't go for you. To be honest, you're a bit intimidating."

Katara laughed out loud. "Why can't you just accept that she's the real thing?"

"Yeah," Ty Lee agreed. "We had a couple fake ones in our circus, but this one sounds real and when I get my reading, I'll prove it."

"Maybe I'll go see her too," Azula almost whispered. Mai held in a laugh. She'd never known her friend to believe in that nonsense. Ty Lee, yeah, but not Azula. She was the sensible one.

"I might as well try it too, even though I'm with him on this one," she finally spoke up, nodding to Sokka.

"Thank you!" Sokka nearly yelled, glad for the support even if it was from her. Ty Lee giggled at him and Katara rolled her eyes. Toph was leaning against the railing, staring blankly over the landscape. Katara noticed and approached her cautiously.

"Toph, are you alright?" she asked quietly so not to draw attention to them.

The earthbender sighed and shifted her gaze downward. "I'll be fine. Maybe I'm just a little tired."

"Last time you said that, you had a freaky dream," Katara smiled half-heartedly.

She watched Toph weakly nod, bangs waving back and forth with the movement of her head. "I remember. I was actually kind of hoping for another one."

"Why?"

"I hear you guys talking about how beautiful this place is and I would just love to see it."

"Toph-"

"I'm going for a walk," she stated abruptly. "I'll be back in a little while."

Katara watched her sad friend walk away. Apparently no one noticed as they were all caught up in an exciting discussion about cactus juice for some reason. She sighed and shook her head, turning back to the view and feeling bad for Toph. It was hard to enjoy something so beautiful when something that bad was weighing on your mind. If only there was something she could do..

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**The next chapter has a pretty good Taang moment. I know I've kind of been neglecting them cuz I'm so caught up in Zutara, but it's in there for you! And Aang's reading is in there. I was surprised by it when I wrote it because it sounded so.. professional lol. Anyway, I love you all for reviewing and if you couldn't tell, this story is slowly but surely coming to an end. You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	32. Chapter 32

_Sorry for the long wait. I've got like 15 projects going on at the same time and it's getting hectic, one of them being my new Avatar fansite called Bluetarako (the link is in my profile). Some of you already know about this because I've asked to use your stories in the Fan Fiction section. Anyway, for those of you who were asking if you would get to hear Azula's reading, that would ruin the surprise in the last chapter! Sorry! Well, here's the latest chapter!_

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"Young Aang, we meet again," said the cheerful woman as she opened her door to greet the two boys.

"Hi, Aunt Wu!" he grinned.

"And Prince Zuko. I trust my advice helped?"

"It did. Thank you," Zuko replied with a slight bow of his head before he left.

Aang walked into the room and sat on the cushion before Aunt Wu. She smiled weakly at him. "How's that love life of yours going since I saw you?"

The boy cocked his head. "Um, good I guess."

"Are you reshaping your destiny?"

"I guess so. I'm kind of dating my earthbending teacher now."

"Somehow I knew better than to think Katara would be the one."

"I know this isn't what I'm here for."

She smiled again. "No, it isn't. I'm afraid my topic isn't quite as pleasant. You already know your mission, correct?"

"Defeat the firelord and save the world, yeah I know.."

"Do you know when?"

"By the end of the summer." Aang sighed and looked out the small window in the room. "That's coming up sooner than I really want it to."

"Yes, but the solar eclipse is sooner, isn't it?"

Aang's eyes automatically shot back to her. "I almost forgot about that! Yeah, it's not much sooner but it is sooner. It's.. actually, it's a month away." Aang felt nauseous in the pit of his stomach as he knew where this was going.

"That's when you will need to go. You have the advantage of all the elements, although your firebending will be useless along with his. Though if you don't make it on that day, there's still a chance. Plus you have your friends."

"I don't want them-"

"One must go with you." His confused grey eyes asked everything, so she explained with one name. "Prince Zuko."

"But he's a-"

"He has his swords still, does he not?"

"The firelord isn't that powerful without his bending, is he?"

Aunt Wu's faintly cheery expression turned solemn. "He has armies of soldiers that you'll have to fight through to get to him and not all of them bend. I'm sure he'll be extra precautionary that day. And it may take both of you to bring him down. There's no telling what kind of power he posesses, if any, outside of his bending. Here, let me see your hand."

Aang held his hand out, palm up, and she studied it closely. Her eyes followed every line on the pale skin of his palm, hoping to find something, anything, to help in his fight. Finally, she laid a finger on a small line across the top. Aang couldn't help but feel nervous.

But she wasn't about to tell him everything. "There will be many to battle before you fight the one that counts. All of your friends play a great role in keeping you safe during these battles. Do not deny them that at least. You will find a friend where you least expect it. Be thankful for the decision of this person, for it is a battle in their own mind over right and wrong. Cherish the loves and friendships you have. You know well the dangers and risks of your mission," she ended, not wanting to go further.

Aang nodded, a grim expression across his normally happy face. "So, I don't guess you'll give me a happy ending, will you?"

Aunt Wu gave the boy a half-hearted smile. "Unlike most people, your life splits in two directions. One particular moment during your battle serves as the fork in the road that is your life. One decision will lead to a young death, the other will lead to a significantly longer life. It is unclear as of now which path you will choose, therefore you must do that on your own."

"Thank you, Aunt Wu."

Aang stood up and bowed before taking his leave. There was no bounce in his step. There was no smile on his face. There was no joy in his grey eyes. There was only sadness and fear for the upcoming month. He knew what he had to do, even if it meant there was a possibility he could die. But there was also the possibility things could go alright and he'd live, but judging by the way Aunt Wu spoke, there'd be a price for it.

"Hey, Twinkle Toes. Why so glum?"

He looked up to see Toph sitting against a wall near the bridge. He sighed and took a seat beside her. "What makes you think I am?"

"I'm blind, not stupid."

"I'm just a little worried, that's all."

"About what? There's nothing to worry about here, we're safe."

"Not here. In the near future. The Fire Nation."

"Oh, right. What'd that lady tell you?"

He froze. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her what he'd been told. A shiver ran down his spine and he looked down at Toph's hand covering his. She must've picked up the shift in the mood around them. He loved how perceptive she was at things like that.

"Nevermind. You don't have to say it," she whispered, squeezing his hand gently. "Just forget I asked."

He couldn't help but smile a little. He picked her hand up and kissed the back of it, then held it to his chest over his heart. Tears threatened to spill from his closed eyes. She felt his body quiver, trying to hold back a sob, and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close like she did to get him out of the Avatar state when he thought Katara was dead. He buried his face in the curve of her neck and held onto her as if she'd slip away.

Toph knew something was wrong. Something that woman said had upset him, but she wasn't sure what and she didn't want to try to ask again. So she just held him and stroked the back of his neck along his arrow, although she didn't know that. It sent more shivers down his spine, but they weren't unpleasant ones.

"Promise me something, Toph."

"Okay."

"Promise that, no matter what happens to me, you'll keep fighting. I don't want to see you get hurt because of me."

Toph pulled away a little. "I can't do that, Aang. If I get hurt, it won't be because of you. You may be the reason I run in to help, but it'll be my own fault if I get hurt. Do you even think it'll happen?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't want you to get in my battles. It's something I have to do on my own.. kind of."

"What do you mean 'kind of'?"

"Zuko needs some payback."

A smile flittered across her face. "I hope he has fun with that. I can only imagine what I'd do if I were in his position. Pow!" She swung her fist out at an invisible opponent, making Aang smile. "So, Twinkle Toes, are you ready to go back and face the others head-on like an earthbender?"

"Yeah, let's do that."

He stood up and helped her up, then hand-in-hand they headed back to where the others were.

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"Aw, look at this big belly," Ty Lee cooed, patting the pregnant bison's big stomach.

Sokka smiled and joined her in petting the bison. "I wonder what this one's name is. I'm pretty sure that one over there is the one Ursa named Kia." He pointed a little further down to where Zuko and Katara were petting one of the other bison. Appa was down there with them as well, happy as could be to be rejoined with his kind again. He heard Katara laugh when their new bison friend licked Zuko. He had to laugh as well. He knew all too well what that felt like.

"How many babies do bison usually have?"

"No idea. Aang might know," he replied. "Maybe around 8?"

Ty Lee looked back at the bison's stomach and nodded. "What do you think, girl? You think it feels like 8?"

She grunted a response and continued eating the fruits from a nearby tree. Ty Lee grinned and Sokka shook his head. "You women and your baby stuff," he muttered quietly.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Katara yelled from her spot a few feet away, startling Kia.

His head shot up to look at her. He hadn't thought he said it that loud. "I saw the way you looked at that little girl that gave you your necklace when it fell off in that village. I saw the look on Zuko's face too. I know what you were thinking."

"Sokka, I'm 15 years old," she retorted. "I am not making you an uncle anytime soon. Don't worry."

His gaze shifted to Zuko, who was standing behind Katara with a look that said _'Why'd you have to go there?'_ written on his face. It changed quickly when she turned around to face him. Sokka snickered at the sudden change and Ty Lee hit him on the shoulder to quiet him.

Just then, Aang and Toph came into view. "There you guys are," Aang said with a hint of relief in his voice. "We've been looking for you. We got kind of worried when no one was where we left you."

Toph smiled at the other presence and walked slowly towards the pregnant bison, which Sokka had secretly named Yue because of the white fur (which flattered her, by the way). "There are 7 babies in there," she whispered in awe when she touched the bison's stomach.

"I was close," Sokka smirked.

"Wow, I can't believe there'll be more little bison running around here," Aang grinned. "It'll start to look more like it did 100 years ago, with less lemurs." Momo jumped off of Appa's horn and landed on Aang's shoulder sadly. He pet the lemur for comfort and he purred in Aang's ear.

"Where is everyone else?" Toph asked, still petting the pregnant bison. She giggled when she received a gentle kick to her hand.

"My mom and Alec are in some garden they found and I don't know where Azula and Mai are," Zuko told them.

"I think they're waiting to see that fortune teller," Ty Lee almost laughed. "Those two are the last ones I expected to do that, but then again, Azula always was unpredictable."

Zuko nodded his head in agreement, trying hard not to say anything. He actually wanted to hear her fortune but he doubted he would get to. He hoped it would be something bad.. or at least good for them. Anything to get her out of the way and ruin whatever she was planning.

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Ursa and Alec stopped in front of dozens of blue and red flowers and admired them (**A/N: **_Think of lilies with blue petals and red tips_). The way the sun glistened off of the water droplets on the petals made them even more beautiful than normal. Ursa decided that if and when her son married the Water Tribe girl, these would suit the occasion perfectly. And if they didn't have them in the Fire Nation gardens, she would come back here just to get them.

"What are these called?" Alec asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen anything like them before other than here. I don't remember seeing them in the royal gardens of the Fire Nation palace, and I was there quite often. They're very beautiful though."

"They remind me of Zuko and Katara."

"They do me too."

The boy sighed. "Do you think they'll get married? I think they will. I've been around them enough, I can tell."

Ursa smiled. "I don't know her very well, but she seems nice and Zuko really likes her. It's good to see him happy after all he's been through. I think they will. She would make a good Fire Lady."

"But aren't you-?"

"Not anymore. Everyone thinks I'm dead, I'm sure. Besides, if I'm recognized when I go with you to the Fire Nation and I get offered the throne after Ozai is defeated, I'll just give it to Zuko. He would do a much better job ruling and, since he apparently has so many friends in the other nations, it would be fairly easy to make peace."

Alec kneeled down and admired a tile on the walkway they were on. "This is pretty. I wonder if it means something."

Ursa kneeled down beside him and looked over the marble tile. It was square, as all the tiles were, but there was a yin-yang in the center. Half of it was a golden sun and that half of the surrounding tile was red, and the other half was a silver moon and the tile surrounding that half was blue. It matched the flowers beside it perfectly. Further down she noticed a similar scene, except with yellow and green flowers.

"It _would_ make one wonder. Maybe they anticipated this.." she wondered out loud. "As many times as I've been to these gardens, I never noticed these."

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Katara yawned sleepily and snuggled into the warmth of Zuko's chest. He let a small smile grace his face and tightened his arms around her, also pulling the blanket up higher. They never wanted that moment to end, but it had to eventually like everything else.

Her blue eyes lazily drifted up to meet his equally lazy golden ones. She giggled lightly when she saw him try to hold in a yawn and fail. "Sleepy?"

"Nope.."

"I am."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I think I am."

Zuko smirked down at the girl laying on his chest. She saw something flash through his eyes, but it was so quick she couldn't read it. It took her a second before she realized what it was, but only because he tilted her head and kissed her. She smiled into the kiss and moved to deepen it, but he pulled away.

"No, I don't think you are."

"That was low."

"So was what you did to me before we split up at the ravine."

"So?" she giggled.

Zuko moved his hands up to her neck and cautiously removed her mother's necklace. She looked hesitant to let him take it at first, but thought maybe he had a good reason for it.

"Remember when I first gave this back to you on the ship?"

Katara smiled. "Yeah. You were half asleep when I got it back, and you were talking in your sleep. Something about me being yours and not Kiatoh's?" she giggled at his blush. Apparently he didn't know she heard that. "That was the night of the dance..and the storm that got us to this point."

"What point?"

"I think the time on the island with me is the only reason you're here _with_ Aang instead of out there still chasing him."

Thunder rumbled somewhere outside and Katara could sense the rain beginning to fall. The candles flickered as a small draft floated in under their closed door. She suppressed the sudden urge to run outside and dance in the rain again. No matter how old she was, she would never outgrow it. She smiled, remembering how adorable Zuko was with his wet hair hanging down in front of his eyes and dripping from the rain. She remembered how he played with her, acting his age for the first time since his banishment, she assumed.

He reached behind him and placed her necklace on the small table beside the bed, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "Thank you," he whispered quietly, almost too quiet to hear.

"For what?"

"Loving and believing in me when no one else would. For being there when I really needed someone, whether I wanted you there or not."

She tilted her head up to look at him and saw a hint of sadness in his eyes before he squeezed them shut. "And I will always be here for you, Zuko. Whether you want me here or not," she giggled the last part.

That was just what he wanted to hear. _Needed_ to hear. He decided tomorrow he would give her something special. Tomorrow so everyone would be there. But tonight, he would just be with her. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. She gave him every opportunity to deepen it and he took it, gently massaging her tongue with his own. He smiled in the kiss when she shivered in delight.. or maybe it was the cold wind floating in. Either way, he liked it.

He moaned softly when she pressed herself against him, barely succeeding in restraining himself from taking her right then. She smiled and broke the kiss, but continued down his neck and bit gently. When she felt Zuko's hands curl up in her robes, she knew it was a good thing.. so she did it again. His hands trembled against her back and when she looked up at him, he was biting his lower lip to keep from attacking her. He felt her gaze on him and opened his eyes to meet hers.

"You have no idea what you're doing.." he whispered.

"Do I not?" she teased, pressing into him again. He clenched her robes in his hands and shivered and she knew it wasn't the draft. She giggled seductively and received an evil glare, lessened greatly by the fact that he was incredibly aroused.

"You know, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you had some experience."

"Well, it's not like it's hard to tease you.. or any guy for that matter."

Under normal circumstances, Zuko would've taken offense to that but this wasn't exactly normal so the comment slipped past him as he dove in for another kiss. She could've sworn she heard him growl as he bit her lower lip. Her stomach flipped when he did that and her subconcious mind urged him to do it again.

Ignoring that part of her mind, she pulled away. "Zuko, calm down." He kissed her earlobe and growled again, causing a chill to run down her back. "Zuko, stop, we can't.."

"I know.." he whispered reluctantly, but he didn't budge from their compromising position.

She smiled and snuggled into his chest, eyes drooping sleepily. "I love you."

"I love you too." He held her and stroked her hair until she fell asleep, then he put out the candle beside the bed and rested his chin on her head. Sleep evaded him for a few more hours before he finally passed out.

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**_(giggles hysterically)_ Wow, I'm sorry about that, I just had to put some "smuttiness" in there somewhere. It was probably completely random, but I liked it. Well, I have some incredible news about my site. It has a Guestbook and Dante Basco himself signed it! I found his Myspace and sent him a message to tell him about it and he was flattered by it and signed it! Woohoo! Now go to my newly updated profile and click the link to Bluetarako and see for yourself! And maybe sign it too. Woohoo! Now join me in a happy dance! _(happy dance) _You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**

**Dante Basco signed my Guestbook!! (_screams)_**


	33. Chapter 33

_I planned on putting this up earlier today, but a lot has been happening recently. Kaybri got her pictures made, my uncle is in town from Maryland for the holiday, I've been busy with my fansite and forum, putting together a new layout for my Myspace page, preparing for Thanksgiving, and to top it all off, my father-in-law died this morning. It sucks. Plus, I haven't been getting any of my reviews or chapter alerts for any of my stories, including my new one. If you haven't read it, go to my profile and check it out._

_I have the link to the teaser trailer for the season finale in my profile if you haven't seen the **Zutara goodness**! And go visit my fansite to see that Mae Whitman signed my guestbook too! Without further ado, here is your next chapter:_

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_She was walking aimlessly through the hallways trying to memorize her way around the place. It seemed everyone was off doing their own thing, but she couldn't find a single person anywhere. She sat by a fountain she found and bent some water up to play with, making random objects with it. Suddenly the earth trembled under her and she jumped up, taking a stance._

_Before she knew what was going on, flowers jumped out before her. Red and blue flowers, and very beautiful at that. But where had they come from? Then there was a loud rushing sound from beside her and there was fire there. Not just fire, but fire in the shape of a heart. She looked around her, but didn't see anything. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding._

_"What took you so long?" he breathed in her ear._

_She was about to ask if he'd planned it when she felt something slide over her neck where her mother's necklace had just been the night before. She gasped and knew exactly what it was. A betrothal necklace._

_"Will you?"_

_"Zuko, my father-"_

_"Sokka said if the father is gone, then the oldest brother chooses for you."_

_"I'm not 16 yet. I can't-"_

_"We're not getting married until then, don't worry. I respect your nation's traditions."_

_She smiled as the arms left her and the body they belonged to came around to face her. Her breath hitched in her throat and she suddenly wanted to hug Sokka to death for letting her have her prince even though he lost his princess. Zuko tilted her chin up and kissed her and she threw her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer. It was then that she noticed all the people peeking out of bushes and from behind pillars. It was a set-up._

Katara's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at the warmth beside her and the cool silk around her neck. She snuggled into him, unwilling to let the sun's rays wake her fully. She was happy. Yes. She was very happy.

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The next couple of weeks were spent training for most of the group. Zuko and Katara spent most of their time together practicing, sparring, or training Aang. Toph and Aang spent a lot of time together as well, be it practicing or just being together. Ty Lee and Sokka were practicing on each other, him trying to improve his reflexes by dodging her jabs and her learning to weild a weapon just in case it's needed. He tried to teach her to use the boomerang, but it hurt her hand a little when it came back.

Mai and Azula mostly kept to themselves, but every once in a while someone would catch a glimpse of lightening or blue flames. Since everyone else was training, Ursa kept Alec company. He showed off his impressive bending skills and she tried to instruct him as she had seen Zuko's teachers do. Alec once attempted to teach Aang how to summon blue fire, but he's only 7 and.. well, he's not a very good teacher. Aunt Wu left a few days after Aang's reading, wishing him all the luck the spirits could grant him. Of course, she did the others' readings first.

This evening, Aang had them all meet in the huge library. Katara and Toph both had a feeling they wouldn't like what was going to be said. He was acting pretty serious and that just wasn't like him. Alec was half-asleep in Katara's lap as she sat in the floor next to a small fire in the fireplace. They all sat in a semi-circle around Aang, anxious to hear what he had to say.

"We're leaving in the morning," Aang sadly told them all. "We're going to head east. It'll take about a week and a half to reach the capitol city. With some luck, we won't have another blockade to worry about like on the solstice. We'll have to go over a little Fire Nation land, but Appa will be moving too fast for anyone to get word to the firelord before we get there. Since there are 10 of us, we're splitting into two groups and taking Kia with us."

"I knew this wouldn't be good news," Toph huffed, crossing her arms and leaning back.

"Well, it kind of is. We're on our way to defeat the firelord and save the world. That's a little bit good, right?"

"But there's always the chance that... nevermind. It's great."

Katara lightly stroked Alec's hair and looked at Toph sadly. She knew what she was thinking. Katara was worried for the same reason. There's always the chance that someone could die. She sighed and averted her eyes back to Aang. "So we should just make the best of tonight. This may be the last time we're all together like this. Let's just relax and have a little fun."

"Music Night." Everyone's heads immediately shot over towards Zuko. He looked back at them, his eyes hard and serious. "We should have a Music Night. It was Uncle Iroh's favorite time on the ship."

"That's perfect!" Aang grinned. "There are some instruments somewhere around here. I'm not sure where they kept them in this temple, but I know they have them. Does anyone know how to play?"

"Unfortunately for me, Uncle Iroh insisted I learn to play the Sungi Horn," Zuko replied, rolling his eyes.

Azula gave a half-smile, half-smirk. "I had to learn to play a flute in the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. I haven't done it in a while, but I'm sure I still know how."

Mai and Ty Lee nodded. They'd been there and Azula was quite talented with it. Ty Lee was experienced with a sitar and Mai played an erhu_(1)_. All the girls in the Academy had to learn to play instruments. Aang was hoping the temple had all those instruments. He would love to hear the infamous trio play something. He wanted to hear the hot-tempered prince play even more.

"I'll go check in the place I think they are and we can do that out on the large balcony. I'll meet all you guys out there, okay?"

They all started out of the library and Aang took off in the opposite direction they were going. Katara had ventured around the temple enough to remember the way back to the balcony easily, so she led the way. They weren't there very long before Aang came rushing back with an armload of instruments. Zuko plucked his Sungi Horn off the top and tossed Azula her flute with a small smile.

"How long has it been since we've played together?" Ty Lee giggled.

Even Mai smiled a little. "It's been a while. I hope we're still good."

The four got set up around the edge of the balcony and decided on a piece they all knew. Of course, it was a Fire Nation piece that only Ursa recognized. It was fast-paced and reminded Katara of the fire they bent. She was used to the slow and steadiness of the Water Tribe music so she was having a hard time keeping up. Since Zuko and Ty Lee were preoccupied, Sokka asked his sister to dance. He wasn't very coordinated and he stumbled every once in a while, but he was slowly getting the hang of it.

When that song was over, Sokka insisted that he knew something their mother had taught him when he was little. He dug through the instruments Aang had brought up and found another flute. He wasn't comfortable using the same one Azula was using. Katara eyed him skeptically, wondering what on earth he thought he could play, but when he started to play she was quite surprised.

"Would my lady care to dance?"

She spun around to face Zuko and smiled. "I'm flattered, my lord," she replied just as formally, taking his hand. The song started off slow, then about halfway through it became a little more upbeat. Aang furrowed his brow in recognition and scurried over to the Sungi Horn to help him play the upbeat part. It was the most beautiful thing any of them had heard and they clapped for them.

"Mom said there's supposed to be a legend behind that about the balance of the elements, but it's been so long I don't think I remember it," Sokka explained as he made his way to his sister. "Something about one taking over the lands of the others and the world falling out of balance, then their master is summoned by the imbalance and tries to settle the dispute. It's kind of like the nations and Aang."

"When did Mom teach you that?" she asked curiously.

"A long time ago," he sighed, shaking his head. "I think I messed up a little in the middle, but it came out pretty well for having not played it in years."

They hadn't even noticed that Ty Lee started playing something on her sitar until Azula asked Sokka to dance. It was a kind of seductive piece, one that you could easily move your body to, and that's exactly what she did. This was the kind of opportunity she'd been looking for to get close to him. Ty Lee was too concentrated on playing to even notice and she was kind of glad, but another part of her dared her to look up. Sokka, the poor boy, he had no idea what to do. Katara saw what she was doing and instantly knew Azula's secret, but instead of doing something about it, she grinned evilly and started moving the same way for Zuko.

Alec noticed Mai standing off to the side, so he decided to ask her so she wouldn't feel so left out. Oddly enough, she agreed and unconciously moved close to Zuko and Katara to dance. Perhaps dancing with him was an excuse to be near Zuko without him getting mad. Toph and Aang were mixing dancing with goofing off, keeping it lighthearted.

When Katara looked back at her brother, she wanted to slap him for what she saw. Azula was facing him and his eyes almost looked clouded over in lust as she inched her body closer and closer to his until they were pressed together. Sokka gulped nervously when Azula gently placed a finger under his chin, silently urging him to come closer. He was entranced by her sparkling golden eyes, the way her hips swayed and grinded against him, the way the light of the dying sun hit her pale skin just perfectly and made her seem more beautiful. He was a mere breath away when someone cleared their throat rather loudly beside them.

"Azula, may I cut in?" came a sweet voice.

Sokka closed his eyes and backed away, knowing who the voice belonged to. He wasn't sure what he was about to do, but he knew it got him in trouble. Ty Lee grabbed his arm and dragged him far enough inside so that no one could hear them. He hardly ever saw her serious, so he braced himself for what was coming.

"You want to explain that?" she asked him when they stopped, her sweet voice edged with anger.

"She asked me to dance, so I did," he answered truthfully.

"Did she ask you to kiss her too?"

"I didn't kiss her."

"You were this close to her face!" Ty Lee all but yelled, holding up her fingers to make her point. "What were you planning on doing, waiting to see if she would kiss you first so you could blame it on her?"

"I'm sorry! It's just.. that music and the way she was moving. She was trying to kiss me, I know she was. She was practically pulling my face towards hers, didn't you see that?"

"I should've known she'd try something," Ty Lee muttered, turning away from Sokka. "She's jealous because I have something that she wants. She'll do whatever it takes to get it, too. Trust me, from our history I know she always gets what she wants. Just promise me you'll be a little more wary of her in the future, okay?"

"I promise," he said, taking her hand in his.

She turned back and hugged him, praying in her mind that Azula never came that close again. They were supposed to be friends, right? But Azula was Azula and that would never change, no matter who she was hanging out with now. After the time they'd spent at the temple, it was only now that she realized why Zuko tensed around her. Maybe she was plotting something. Was Sokka part of her plan? Or was he just something she wanted? Perhaps seducing Sokka was a way to split them up so she could blame it on him and she would convince her to go back to the group. She wouldn't let that happen. She liked being the good guy better than the bad.

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Katara found a small instrument that looked kind of like Ty Lee's sitar but smaller. It had a place to rest your chin and she assumed you used something else to play. She opened her water pouch and brought out some water and formed a bow of ice. She drew it across the strings and it sounded pretty, so she played with it for a few minutes and tried to come up with something.

While she was playing, she noticed Mai approach Zuko._ She'd better not try what Azula just tried with Sokka,_ she thought, already plotting Mai's downfall if she did. She saw him glance at her real quick as if asking for approval and Katara barely gave him a nod. She didn't want to seem too controlling and Mai didn't seem like the type of person to do anything like that. But she did know that she liked Zuko.

"How you holding up, sis?" Sokka asked, sitting down beside her. He noticed she was watching Zuko and Mai dance. "You want me to keep an eye on them for you?"

"You couldn't keep an eye on yourself."

"Ouch. Okay, but I'll watch them anyway. I don't want him straying away from our agreement."

Katara's playing faltered, but she steadied it quickly. "What agreement?"

"Oh, it's just a guy thing."

She was about to ask more because she knew she was involved, but he got up and seated himself next to his girlfriend. She closed her eyes and let the bow flow across the strings and the music that came out was almost as beautiful as the piece that Sokka played earlier. It wasn't something she'd heard before, but rather something just came out naturally somehow. No one seemed to notice that her eyes glazed over as she concentrated.

Mai could feel eyes boring into her but she noticed the Water Tribe girl wasn't watching them. Her eyes flickered over to her brother, who _was_ watching. He had a serious look in his eyes that a small part of her was afraid of. She made sure to keep a respective distance from Zuko because without her knives she couldn't do much damage if the Water Tribe girl attacked her. Hell, she knew that without Ty Lee on her side she wouldn't have a chance. She remembered the battle in Omashu and she wasn't sure what would've happened had Ty Lee not blocked her chi and stopped her bending. She was one hell of a violin player though.

Aang and Toph were completely oblivious to the goings on around them. They registered that Katara was playing pretty music, but they had no idea what was happening between all the other members of their group. Aang was just holding Toph close and praying to all the spirits that he could still do this in a month's time. Toph was enjoying the closeness and she could feel his heart pounding in his chest. She smiled into his shoulder and hugged him tighter. She was praying to the spirits as well that they could still do this after the war.

"You want to know something strange?" he whispered in her ear. "The day after the solar eclipse is my birthday. My 13th birthday and I'm already going to face a possible death. It's practically a suicide mission if we miss the eclipse."

"Hey, Mister Optimism, lighten up. This night is supposed to be about fun. And don't think like that. I don't know what I'd do if you didn't make it through this and I'd rather not think about it." She sighed and changed the subject. "Katara plays beautifully. It reminds me of home."

"Do you miss it at all?"

"Sometimes. I miss my mom, but I don't miss all the control they held over me. After all this is over, maybe things will change at home if they know what I did. Maybe they'll treat me how I want to be treated for once, like a human being instead of fragile glass."

Ursa was watching them all and thinking about how much things would change in a couple weeks. Alec was sitting beside her, looking lost in thought as well. He looked up, broken from his concentration, and noticed Katara's change in pace. She was playing beautifully still, but it seemed a bit faster. She looked like she was concentrating hard, her brow furrowed and her eyes not leaving the strings. One would think she knew what she was doing, but truthfully she didn't. And she loved it.

Sokka's eyes were still glued on Mai and it was making her uncomfortable, so she excused herself from dancing with Zuko. Both of the boys were relieved. Sokka relaxed and was about to lean back when Ty Lee jumped up and dragged him up with her to dance a little. Zuko settled down beside Katara and listened to her playing, wondering if he could jump in and keep up like Aang had with Sokka earlier. He decided against it, thinking that it might throw her off her concentration.

The sky was dark and all the stars were out when Katara finally stopped. Ursa had already taken Alec to bed and retired herself, but the others were still out there enjoying the night and the music. Katara looked around and saw a half-asleep Zuko sitting beside her. She smiled to herself as she leaned over and kissed the edge of his scar.

That woke him up. His eyes widened and his head shot over to her. It seemed he hadn't even noticed her playing stopped. Katara held back a laugh and said, "We should get some sleep. We have a long week and a half ahead of us."

He nodded and stood to follow, ignoring the odd looks he was getting from Sokka and Mai as he rubbed his eyes and yawned. Katara smiled and lead him by his hand, him struggling to stay concious as they walked.

Aang knelt down and dug through a small bag beside one of the benches and pulled out a small lacquer box. He walked to Mai and held it out to her, surprising her and Azula both. She looked hesitant to take it, but he insisted by gently pushing it into her arms.

"What's this?" she asked, curiousity hinting in her normally dull tone.

"Open it and see," Aang replied cheerfully. She opened it and bit back a gasp. "I thought you could use them in a few days, so I took Appa to the mainland and got them for you."

Cautiously, Mai removed one of the stars from its velvet bed and ran her fingertips over it. "I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll help me fight when the time comes." Aang's voice was solemn and she knew it was time to repay her debt.

She gave the barest of nods, which satisfied Aang for he left for bed, followed closely by Toph. Sokka left soon after, leaving Ty Lee with her old friends. Azula glared at Mai for agreeing.

"What are you _doing_?" Azula hissed. "You can't help him fight, you'd be betraying your nation. Do you want to be a traitor, Mai?"

"I owe him my life, Princess. There's nothing I can do."

Azula growled and turned on Ty Lee, smiling evilly. Ty Lee knew that smile and became somewhat worried. "And where will you be when your nation needs you the most, Ty Lee? Fighting and betraying your nation or standing proudly beside it?"

"I won't betray Sokka again, Azula. I can't."

The princess's fingertips sizzled in anger. Both of her only friends were going to betray her. One over some stupid life-debt and the other over some silly boy. Her eyes glazed over, but Ty Lee stood her ground and glared back. Rarely did she get serious, everyone knew that, but Azula hadn't known her to stand up to her. She was both proud and furious at the same time.

Before Azula had time to react, Ty Lee hit her with two quick jabs and knocked her unconcious. Her body slumped to the ground and Ty Lee barely caught her head before it smacked the ground. She picked her friend up and Mai helped carry her to her room. They laid her on the bed and covered her.

Before they left, Ty Lee whispered sadly, "Goodnight, Azula."

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**I told you I was getting close. I didn't know what to do with this chapter at first, so instead of going through all the details of the proposal and what not, I just decided to relive it in a dream. It started out completely different at first, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out in the end. Happy Thanksgiving to all! You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**

_(1) erhu - a two-stringed bowed musical instrument. In the West, it's commonly referred to as the Chinese fiddle._

_I actually know the song Sokka was playing. It's called The Legend Comes To Life. If you've ever seen Pokemon 2000, it's Lugia's song. Very beautiful. Ty Lee was playing a belly dancer song and I don't know what Katara was playing. :D_


	34. Chapter 34

I love you reviewers! Just in Chapter 31, I was thanking one of my most loyal fans for getting me to 500, now I'm sending thanks to **ToraNoKo123** for being my 600th reviewer! I'm so happy! Anyway, I finally got a deviantART account! (link is in my profile) I would've updated sooner, but since the season finale I've been working on this thoroughly thought out and very well-written one-shot about what I think is going on in Zuko's head. Keep your eyes out for it, I'm hoping to get it up soon. The name I have for it now is **CoD: The Plan Unfolds**. Watch for it! And here's your chapter:

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Aang was up first, having gotten hardly any sleep the night before because he was so worried about what was going to happen. He went ahead and packed up his things and brought them out to the main platform where Appa was anxiously waiting. Kia joined him shortly after. Aang smiled at the both of them and went to watch the sunrise, for it was still a little dark out, with Momo perched on his shoulder.

Zuko woke as soon as the first rays of light painted the morning sky a gorgeous orange and pink. He wanted to smile when he looked down on the sleeping girl in his arms, but couldn't. Instead he bore his trademark scowl today, knowing what this morning brought. They were leaving yet another paradise. He lightly brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and slowly got up to finish packing without waking her.

Azula rubbed the sleep from her eyes and slowly sat up. She wondered how she'd gotten in her room, then remembered Ty Lee's actions on the balcony. She was furious at first, then realized that they'd be heading to the Fire Nation today. That put her into a good mood. _Those brats don't know what they're getting into_, she thought with a smirk. Suddenly excited, she jumped out of bed and grabbed her things and walked out.

Toph laid awake in her room staring blankly towards the ceiling. She could tell it was morning by the slight increase in the summer heat compared to the cool nights. She didn't want to get up, she was tired of traveling, but they had a job to do and she wasn't going to let the world down. With a sigh, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, straightened up her hair, brushed the dirt off, and left with the little she traveled with.

Alec yawned and stretched in the warmth of his room. He seemed to be the only one to wake with a smile, though it faded a bit when he remembered they were leaving this morning. And to the Fire Nation, no less. He hadn't seen his homeland in so long and was kind of worried to. If he could help fight, it wouldn't seem like such a waste of time for him, but he knew they wouldn't let him. He'd been practicing with his blue and white fire and it was easier to summon, but he still knew they wouldn't allow it. He just wished after this was over that he could find his father. His things had already been packed for him, so he grabbed them and ran out the door with that last thought.

Ursa woke about the same time as Alec. She was worried what would happen when and if Ozai saw her. Did he still love her? Did he miss her at all? She shook those thoughts from her head. She'd packed both hers and Alec's things last night, so she just got up and grabbed her bag. She almost collided with Alec when she left her room as he was running down the hall. Together, they made their way to the platform.

When Katara woke up, there was no warmth on her back like she'd grown accustomed to the last few days. She'd had a strange dream about what might happen in the final battle and hoped he'd be there to talk to her about it. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up to look around, but Zuko was gone. Her bag was gone as well as his. Sighing, she got up out of bed, redid her braid, and set off to the platform to find him.

Ty Lee's grey eyes snapped open and she instantly jumped out of her bed. She grabbed her things and ran down the hall to jump on Sokka's bed and wake him up. He groaned and flipped over, but she was persistant. She reminded him of what they were doing today and that seemed to get him up. She packed what was left of his stuff and he grabbed his boomerang and swords and they left together.

Mai, surprisingly, was the last to get up because everyone else had awoken so early. She sat up and smiled to herself when she saw the box that Aang had given her on the small table beside her bed. When she got up, she slipped the knives and darts in their respective places and grabbed her bag. She stuck the box down in the bag with the rest of her things and walked out of the room. I'm going to miss this place, she thought as she caught sight of everyone around Appa and Kia.

"Are you ready?" Ty Lee asked her as she came bouncing up.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess," she replied in her usual bored tone.

"Come on, cheer up! We're going home!"

"But as enemies. They won't care about my honor, all they'll see is that I'm fighting with the Avatar and I'm a traitor."

"But Azula knows why you're doing this, even though I think you should be trying to help us because you want to and not because you have to," Ty Lee said quietly. "We're trying to end a war. That's a good thing."

Mai gave a barely noticable nod and kept walking past her friend to where the bison were sitting and waiting patiently to leave. Aang had a map out and was looking over it with Sokka trying to determine places they could land on the way so that the animals wouldn't have to fly straight through. Zuko took her bag and tied it down on Kia's saddle (there were still a few left in the temple), then jumped down and joined the discussion over who was going on which bison.

"Toph is riding with me on Appa," Aang said.

"And I have to take Kia because she knows me the best," Ursa cut in.

"I'm riding with my mom," Zuko told them, stepping forward with Katara. "Katara's going to ride with me."

Alec squeezed his way through the group. "I wanna ride with them!" he yelled, pointing to Zuko and Katara.

"I guess Ty Lee and I will be riding with you, Aang," said Sokka from his place near the bison, rolling up the map.

Azula was about to add her two coppers (**A/N**: like two cents! ahaha!) but Ty Lee stepped in. "I think Mai should ride with us."

Mai nodded her approval, though she was secretly disappointed she couldn't ride with Zuko. She avoided Azula's hard glare, knowing what it was for, and followed Ty Lee up Appa's tail and into the saddle. Sokka handed Ursa the written-on map before climbing up Appa and settling beside Ty Lee. Alec jumped up on Zuko's back and, surprisingly, he carried him up onto Kia. Katara giggled and followed and soon they were all in the sky again.

Momo kept flying back and forth between the two groups.. well, more like between Aang and Zuko. Zuko wasn't sure why the lemur kept laying in his lap when he'd come back, but he didn't protest. Instead, he stroked his ears and let him lay there until he was ready to fly back over to Aang. He'd taken to the firebender pretty well and liked him better than Sokka, who always seemed to yell at him for eating things. When he came back to Zuko, he landed on his shoulder and purred in his ear, rubbing his face against Zuko's cheek.

Katara smiled and reached over to pet the lemur, who in turn came to sit in her lap. He curled up in a ball and promptly fell asleep. Zuko glared at the little animal, but didn't say anything. Katara caught his glare and held back a laugh.

"Jealous much?" she teased.

His eyes jumped up to meet hers. "I'm not jealous. Why would I want that furry thing asleep in my lap?"

"I think you love Momo. You just won't say anything because it's another thing for Sokka or Toph to make fun of you for."

He raised a brow and asked, "And what do they make fun of me for _now_?"

"I don't know, being a firebender? Toph calls you Captain Scarface when you're not around. Sokka always refers to you as a traveling personal heater, well, to me anyway."

"Captain Scarface?" The look on his face was a mixture of amusement and annoyance, an odd mixture really. "I seem to remember you calling me something like that."

She laughed out loud, earning herself a couple odd looks from the other riders. "I seem to remember that's exactly what I called you. That and Prince Charming, Sleeping Beauty, and a couple others that were purely sarcastic. Wow, it seems like so long ago now. We've come a long way since then and now here we are on our way to the Fire Nation. This will probably be the last time we all get to travel together like this."

"I know."

He unconciously reached over and pet Momo, who was still sleeping and purring in Katara's lap. Katara wrapped her arm around Alec, who was sitting on the other side of her falling asleep, and let him rest against her side. She chanced a glance up at Azula, who was watching over the side of the saddle as the last bit of land passed under them.

"How do you feel about flying?" she asked her, not really expecting an answer.

"I'd never done it before a couple weeks ago, but I think it's kind of fun," Azula replied honestly, tearing her gaze from the water to look at the Water Tribe girl. "A little uncomfortable being up this high knowing that if something happened, you could go tumbling down into the ocean and possibly die, but still fun."

"So you're one of those "there's fun in danger" people?" There was a hint of amusement in Katara's voice because she knew someone like that.

"I guess so," she shrugged.

The waterbender smiled. "I guess in that way, you're kind of like Aang. He's always riding these big, untamed animals just because it sounds like fun. Elephant koi, lion-turtles, giant owl spirits, sea monsters, the kid is just crazy."

"Owl spirits?" Zuko questioned unbelievingly. Katara saw a hint of interest spark up in Azula's eyes as well.

"Wan Shi-Tong, the knowledge spirit. He had a library of infinate knowledge buried in the desert and we found it hoping to find some useful information on the Fire Nation but that entire section was burned down. I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling Zhao had something to do with that."

Zuko nodded. "I think so too. Uncle Iroh told me about Zhao stumbling across a library and finding the identies of the water and moon spirits' mortal forms. That's how he knew where to find them in the North Pole."

"Makes sense."

"So you guys have been all over the world, right?" Ursa asked from Kia's head.

"Yep!" Katara grinned. "From the South Pole to the North Pole and all over the Earth Kingdom, even a little in the Fire Nation."

"The Fire- oh yeah, on the Winter Solstice," Zuko remembered. "The Temple of the Avatar, I almost forgot about that."

Azula sat up and looked at him. "I heard that was destroyed."

"By Avatar Roku himself," Katara told her. "Aang went there seeking guidance from him and Zhao and the Fire Sages were waiting for him outside the door, so Roku helped him escape and destroyed the temple."

Alec sleepily looked up at Katara. "How many close calls have you guys had?"

"More than I can remember," she laughed. "The South Pole right after we found Aang, Kyoshi Island, the temple, that place with the pirates-"

"Oh yeah, and I tied you to that tree," Zuko grinned.

"And flirted with me basically." Zuko scoffed and rolled his eyes. Katara elbowed him and smiled. "I wasn't really a match for him until we got to the North Pole and I mastered waterbending, but then it really wasn't a fair fight because I beat him."

"The first time, but then I beat you!" Zuko retorted.

"And I beat you again after that when we were looking for you and Aang in that blizzard, and then we _saved_ you!"

"I was tired from trekking across the tundra through that blizzard with him on my back. Of course you beat me then."

Ursa laughed and Azula shook her head at them. "You guys argue like a married couple already," Azula said, looking back out over the water.

Momo shook himself awake, chirped at Katara and Zuko, then flew back over to Appa's saddle where Aang was. He, Toph, and Sokka were currently joking about Zuko and Katara and laughing while Ty Lee and Mai were talking quietly between themselves.

"I swear sometimes they argue like a married couple!" Toph grinned. "They sound like my parents."

"She's always been a fighter, as long as I can remember. Even in the middle of the water on a simple fishing trip," Sokka sighed, reminiscing back to the day they met Aang. "At least she has her heater for when winter comes around."

Aang laughed at that. "I can be a heater now too." He took a deep breath and Toph could feel a slight increase in heat because she was sitting closest to him.

"Stop, Twinkle Toes, it's hot enough out here."

"Sorry," Aang giggled, returning his body temperature to normal.

"I wonder what Captain Scarface is talking about over there," Toph mused. "I can hear his voice, but I can't make out what he's saying."

Aang listened closely. "Whatever it is, he sounds happy."

"Momo, don't eat that!" Sokka screeched, practically jumping on Mai's lap to get a moon peach away from the lemur. Momo chittered at him and flew off to Zuko's lap again.

"What the-" Zuko looked startled as Momo landed in his lap, leaving small paw prints on his tunic.

Katara laughed. "He must've gotten into something over there and Sokka chased him off again."

Momo chittered his approval at her, poofing his fur up a little and she nodded at him. Zuko pet his fur back down and he curled up on his lap. Katara smiled down at Zuko's hand on Momo.

"Anyway," Zuko continued, "I had to look away because he stood up right there and he wasn't wearing anything. I told him to take another 5 minutes and walked away before I saw something I would've had nightmares about for the rest of my life." He sighed, a small smile playing over his lips. "Those were the days, huh Katara?"

"Oh yes, because I _so_ enjoyed constantly running from you and Iroh. I was happy at the North Pole before the entire Fire Nation fleet showed up. I think, after this is all over, I may go back. Of course, I'm going to check up on the progress in the South Pole first and make sure my grandmother is okay."

"What progress?" Zuko scoffed. "Your village was like 3 ice huts and a 2-feet high wall surrounding it and you were the only waterbender in the entire South Pole."

"Master Pakku from the Northern Water Tribe took some of his students down to the South Pole to help restore it back to what it once was. He's the one who taught me what I know now, with the exception of my giant water bubble thing," she grinned. "You know, before he taught me anything, I fought him and almost won?"

"You fought a master without any previous real training and almost beat him?" Ursa's astonished voice spoke up. "How'd you manage that?"

Katara noticed Azula glance over at her and smiled. "Well, I'm naturally a powerful bender. That's how I found Aang, actually. My brother and I were on a fishing trip and I got mad at him and threw kind of a temper tantrum-"

"I can see that happening," Zuko grumbled quietly, hiding a smirk. Katara hit him lightly on the shoulder.

"I was yelling at him and every time I'd throw my arms back, a giant wave would splash up and the giant iceburg behind me would crack. I was so furious at Master Pakku for not teaching me because I was a girl that I yelled at him and ended up making two water vases explode and half the floor around me crack."

Azula's eyes widened a bit. "He wouldn't teach you because you're a girl? I would've fried him!"

Katara nodded. "It's customary in the Northern Water Tribe that men learn to fight with waterbending and women use it to heal. The only reason he decided to teach me is because he found my necklace. He made it for my Gran Gran back when they were betrothed, but she ran away because she hated those customs and it got passed down to me."

"It's a small world after all," Alec began to sing, laughing. He yawned and leaned up against Katara again.

Ursa turned a little to see her. "Are you considered a prodigy?"

"Hmm.. I never thought about that," Katara answered honestly. "Well, Master Pakku said that I'd advanced more quickly than any student he'd ever had, and he's not one to give compliments lightly."

"Well, you're a prodigy to me," Zuko smiled, wrapping an arm around her. Momo jumped up on Katara's shoulder and purred in her ear. She giggled and pet him. "I guess Momo agrees."

"I guess so," she said as Momo chirped in her ear.

He chirped again before jumping off and flying to visit Aang again, this time very wary of Sokka. Sokka sat aside with his arms crossed glaring at the lemur as he landed. Ty Lee elbowed him and he averted his eyes. She shook her head and continued to talk to Mai.

"You'll be remembered as one of the ones to bring the 100-year war to an end."

"Azula would kill me, and I can bet she'll try something on you too."

Ty Lee placed a comforting hand on Mai's arm. "You know this war is unjust and it's tearing people apart, not only in the other nations but in the Fire Nation as well. Do what you think is best for our people like Zuko is. He's going to be Firelord and stop the war and bring fathers and brothers back home to their families. Besides, is Azula really as bad as all the elements combined, especially since Zuko can bend lightening himself now?"

Mai sighed. "I'm already helping you guys, I'm not sure what you're trying to convince me to do."

"I'm trying to convince you to do it for yourself and not just because you owe them a life-debt."

The gloomy girl sat back, lost in thought.

'I'm a noblewoman and they're still my people too. I can help bring peace back to the world and bring families back together, but not without losing lives.'

_But so many lives have already been lost because of the war, remember? The boy you're riding with is the last airbender because of the Fire Nation._

'I guess this way takes less lives. At the end of the summer, so many more people will die because of the comet.'

_You're doing the right thing._

'Am I?'

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Some of you were wondering about my daughter's writing, so I got her up in my lap and she wrote this for you:

lr ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;kkkkbb bbvvvzvcccccc n b b b b nbnbb n bbb nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnccccccccxxvvvvvvz zbbvvvvccccccccccccccccccccccccc mm bbbbb g xb ccccs ,,, ...mmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb ,,,mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm .f jh nb ccccccccccccccccccc z

She's learning how to walk now and doesn't like to sit still, that's why she hasn't been writing lol.

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**Oh, heck yes! I like how this chapter ended. She's torn apart in her mind, but in the end she'll have it all figured out. What's going to happen next? I'm sorry if this seemed like a filler chapter. Some of this was for the Momo lovers that read this. I felt he was being neglected. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it and thanks again for pushing me over the 600 mark! You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**


	35. Chapter 35

_Sorry I couldn't update sooner, I didn't have internet for a couple weeks. Anyway, you guys make me feel like a celebrity when you add me to your friends list on Myspace and freak out when you send me a message lol. You're making me all excited with all the reviews too! I'll be at 700 in no time if you, my loyal fans and reviewers, keep this up! I'm pretty sure this is one of the most popular Zutara stories on this site, which would be in the most popular Avatar stories considering Kataang stories aren't half as popular at Zutara. :D_

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**The Final Battle pt. 1**

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The shore of the Fire Nation came into view a week and a half later as Aang said. The sun was setting already and everyone was afraid to land, but they really had no choice because Appa and Kia both were worn out. Aang decided the best place to camp would be the cliffs at the very edge. They were uninhabited as far as anyone could tell, so it was somewhat safe.

"You know, I'm not a big fan of cliffs lately," Zuko said as they jumped down off the bison.

"Why's that?" Katara asked, helping him unload the supplies on Kia.

Azula glanced at him, but he just shrugged and threw her bag at her a little harder than the others. "I'm not really sure. It's just that everytime I go near one now, I feel like someone's going to push me off."

"No one here would do that."

"But we don't know this area, we may not be the only ones here."

"There's no one else here," Toph told them. She grabbed her bag off the ground then earthbended herself a tent near the animals. "There's not even a house anywhere near here that I can feel."

"We're arriving at the capitol tomorrow," Aang sighed, picking at the grass in front of him.

Katara paused with the last bag in her hands and looked at him beside Appa. "We'll all be fine, Aang. We're more than capable benders and warriors." She tossed the bag to Mai and walked over to Aang, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I know that, but how am I supposed to defeat him when I don't have any control over the Avatar State?"

"Why don't you meditate on that tonight. Maybe something will come to you."

He gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Katara."

She returned his smile with a little more enthusiasm, then went to sit near the edge of the cliff to watch the sun set on the water. Zuko sat beside her and said, "I thought you'd learned not to get so close to cliffs' edges."

"I'm a master waterbender," she replied quietly, still staring out over the water. "It's what saved me last time and what would save me should something happen this time."

"Quick thinking is what saved you last time."

"And waterbending."

"That too, but quick thinking could always save your life. It's saved mine numerous times."

She finally peeled her eyes away from the colorful sunset and looked up at him. He sat on her left side so she was looking at the unscarred side of his face. She lightly brushed his growing hair out of his face and he closed his eyes to her cool touch. "I wish there was something I could do to take all that pain away, Zuko."

"I've told you before I don't want pity, Katara. What's done is done, it's all in the past. You can't heal old wounds." He unconciously touched his scar and it didn't go unnoticed.

She gasped as she realized something. "Maybe I can."

"What are you talking about? No one can heal old wounds, not even you waterbending healers."

She reached inside her robe and pulled out the amulet she'd almost forgotten about. "Do you remember that place in the North Pole where we fought? The oasis?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"That was a spirit oasis, home of Tui and La, the ocean and moon spirits. The water in this amulet is from that oasis. When my waterbending master gave it to me, he said it contained unique properties. Maybe.." He turned his face to look at her and she saw a glimmer of hope. She reached up and touched his scar. "Do you trust me?"

His eyes never left hers. "With my life."

Aang watched from a distance as Katara uncapped the amulet and the little water flowed out and into her hand. His eyes widened as he realized what she was about to attempt and he hoped, for Zuko's sake, that it worked. Katara's hand began glowing blue when it touched his face. Zuko tensed up at the feel of the cool water seeping into his skin, but it was a cooling sensation that made him relax. He trusted Katara. She knew what she was doing, but he tried not to get his hopes up in case it didn't work.

When the feeling went away, he heard a gasp. He wasn't sure if it was a good one or a bad one. "Open your eyes now."

"Did it work?" he asked, eyes still closed. When he felt her hand on his, he opened them. He could see more out of his left eye now. He slowly lifted a hand to that side of his face and felt the smooth skin there.

"We're going to have to go back for more of that stuff," Aang laughed as he approached them. "I wonder what else it can do."

"But.. how..?"

Katara's smile grew wider. "I told you this water was special. Won't the Firelord be surprised when he figures out who you are?"

"Do I look that different?"

"You had a scar and a ponytail last time he saw you, I'm pretty sure," Aang reminded him. "Now there's no scar and your hair is shorter and down."

"Hey, what's going-" Sokka stopped dead in his tracks as he did a double-take at Zuko. "How the- what- who did this?" he stuttered.

Katara and Aang giggled at him. "I did," Katara said, holding up the empty amulet.

Toph poked her head out of her tent and looked towards the small group near the edge. "You guys are going to fall if you don't get away from there. What's going on anyway?"

"His scar is gone!" Sokka yelled, finally finding his voice.

"What?! Aw man, there goes my nickname!" she pouted.

Katara and Zuko listened to Toph and stood up to move away from the edge. As they came into their little camp area, the other 4 girls and Alec looked up and froze. Ursa immediately grinned at the old face of her son. Azula stood up and took a couple steps closer to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Mai's face turned red and she looked away. Ty Lee giggled at her.

"What happened?" Azula asked, her perceptive golden eyes scanning every inch of the left side of his face. "I-it's gone.."

"Such is the power of possibly the most powerful waterbender in the world," Zuko smirked.

"I guess Lord Ozai is in for a shock, huh?" Ty Lee stood up and joined Azula. "Now if you had your ponytail, you'd look exactly like you did when we played together in the palace!"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "_We_ didn't play, you three played and always picked on me and sometimes Mai too."

"Either way, it looks good."

"Um, thanks."

"Excuse me," Sokka said, pushing through Zuko and Katara to get to Ty Lee. He put a protective arm around her and looked down at her.

"This is fun, but I'm going to sleep," Toph called from her little tent. "Can you people try not to move around too much? I can feel everything and it's hard to get to sleep with all that."

Katara sighed. "We should all get some sleep. We have a really big, important day tomorrow."

Everyone else mumbled their agreement, then fell asleep promptly after a good-sized dinner. Everyone, that is, except for Aang. He went back near the edge to meditate. After a couple minutes, a light flashed on the inside of his eyelids and he found himself in a familiar swamp. If anyone had been awake, they would've seen his arrow tattoos glowing.

He stood up and looked around, but not even the meditating monkey was anywhere to be seen. "Hello?" he called, but all he got for a response was his own echo. He trekked through the mucky water looking for anyone he could find, but still no one answered his now desperate calls.

When he came upon a familiar tree, he was hesitant to enter, but he had to find out what was going on in the spirit world. Even if it meant facing the creepy, face-stealing spirit, Koh. He took a deep breath and wiped his face of his emotions.

"Koh? Are you here?"

"Avatar, so good to see you again," drawled the spirit as he dropped from the ceiling and curled around Aang. "What brings you here this time?"

"Where is everyone?" he asked dully, keeping his worry and curiosity in check.

Koh's face transformed into that of the curly-tailed blue nose monkey. "The other spirits that inhabit this place? There was an imbalance they had to take care of. Something about an inability to master the Avatar State in time. Have you not taken care of that yet?"

"I don't have anyone to teach me," Aang replied. "That's why I came here."

"You were supposed to meet someone at the Eastern Air Temple years ago, so I'm told, but he died waiting for you. A good friend of your old mentor, he was. I suppose now you'll have to rely on the guidance of the past Avatars.. if you can find them, that is."

"What do I have to do to find them?"

"Follow your instincts," he said, switching his face to one that Aang thought looked a lot like the Blue Spirit.

Aang blinked at him. "That's it? You have no idea where they're at?"

"That's all I can say."

"Then thanks anyway."

Aang turned to walk away and stopped as Koh called to him, "One day, Avatar. One day.."

"After tomorrow, Koh, you won't be seeing me anymore. My face will never be a part of your collection. Ever."

"We'll see."

With that, Aang left and started walking through the water and low hanging branches of the spirit world trees in a random direction. He wasn't very familiar with the layout of this world seeing as he'd only been there once, but he felt something tugging at him, leading him in his current direction.

"Avatar Roku!" he called as he walked. "Hei Bai? Is anyone here? Avatar Roku, I need your help!"

A couple minutes of walking lead him into a small clearing with a couple spots of dry land. On one, he saw 3 people sitting in a close-knit circle talking quietly amongst themselves, one of them he recognized as Avatar Kyoshi. He sloshed up to them and they jumped when he talked.

"Can you help me?" he asked them. They jumped around and looked at him. "I need help. Koh told me that the past Avatars would help me master the Avatar State."

"Oh goodness, you're who we've been waiting for," one of them said. She was beautiful and looked so much like Ursa that Aang automatically knew who she was. "I guess we were so busy discussing how to bring you here that we didn't sense your arrival."

"You're a past airbender Avatar," Aang gasped. "Avatar Michiko, right?"

"Indeed," she smiled, ushering him into their group.

"How are you supposed to help me get into the Avatar State?"

"It's all about opening your chakras," she said plainly.

"What are those?"

Avatar Michiko sighed, but before she could continue another one dressed in blue spoke up. "It seems we have a lot of work to do. Avatar Miki at your service."

Katara woke up to a faint glow of light. She sat up and looked around and was happy to find Aang meditating near the edge of the cliff, in the spirit world it seemed. She smiled knowing the spirits would take care of him and teach him how to control the Avatar State. After all, that's what he went for, right? She laid back down and fell asleep, hoping for her friend's safety.

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"There is it, guys! Look!"

"I've never seen anything like it before!"

"It's pretty in a weird way."

"It's a solar eclipse. I don't like it," Azula scoffed.

"Of course you don't," Katara said to her. "You rely solely on your firebending as your defense and it leaves you completely powerless. You probably should've worked with some kind of weapon like Zuko."

Azula scowled and sat back in the saddle, watching the land rush beneath them. They were passing over a town she recognized from her trips to settle diplomatic disputes with a couple of the high counsilers of her father's court. "Hey, we're almost there. We're passing over Ho Gai right now."

The people in the streets who were watching the eclipse stopped watching it long enough to point at the two bison flying over them. People were yelling things at them, but they were too far up to hear. Zuko assumed they were too obscene for little Alec's ears anyway.

"Well, they know we're coming now," Toph grumbled to Aang.

"It's okay, we'll be at the Fire Palace before they have a chance to send word to the Firelord," Aang reassured her.

"Are you okay, Twinkle Toes? You sound different today."

"I'm fine. Everything's fine. I learned last night what I have to do to master the Avatar State and I don't like the last step, that's all."

"What is it?"

He sighed and looked at her. "I'm not allowed to have any earthly attachments. I have to let go of everything I feel an attachment to."

She seemed to ponder his words for a minute, then lowered her head. "Do what you have to do to save the world, Aang."

"But Toph-"

"No, Aang. I'll be fine. Without the Avatar State, we won't be able to defeat the Firelord, and if we don't defeat him then we all die. Save the world, Aang. It's your duty. It's your destiny."

He sighed, knowing there was no way around the stubborn earthbender. He held her hand and she gave a meek smile as a tear rolled down her cheek. "What if I let you go and we win? Would I be able to get you back afterwards or would it be too late?"

"I'm not sure. We'll just have to see how this all turns out."

Aang nodded and turned back to steer Appa. He caught a glint of gold way up ahead of them and turned to the other bison to see Katara waving at him frantically. Toph sat up, trying to hear what she was saying. Sokka and Mai just looked at her like she was nuts.

"She says the palace is just up ahead," Toph translated. "And she said to look down."

Aang, Sokka, Mai, and Ty Lee looked over the side of the saddle only to jump back into it to avoid a hot sticker. There were hundreds of soldiers down there launching them up at the two bison in the sky. Kia was starting to panic because she'd never seen that kind of action, but she followed Appa's lead and just dodged them as best as she could.

"I thought they couldn't firebend during an eclipse!" Sokka yelled.

"Yeah, because firebending is the only way to start a fire," Toph said sarcastically. Sokka glared at her, not caring that she couldn't see it. "Kia's hit!" she yelled as she gripped Appa's saddle harder to avoid falling off as he lurched to the side.

"We'll have to land!" Aang yelled back, hoping the others could hear him. He started his descent and Kia followed them gratefully.

"What are we doing? They'll kill us!" Sokka screamed at Aang.

"Appa, as soon as everyone gets off, take Kia to the woods, okay buddy?" Aang asked Appa. He groaned in response and Aang patted his head.

"Ursa and Alec, you two stay on Kia. We don't want to risk you two getting hurt," Katara told them as they were about to land. "We can't afford any casualties on the way through, especially since neither of you can bend or weild a weapon."

They nodded and braced themselves for the landing. Right before they landed, Ty Lee jumped off and started taking care of business. There were men falling left and right, temporarily immobilized by her sharp jabs. Sokka unsheathed his favorite new weapons and fell off the saddle trying to follow his girlfriend. Immediately he was attacked, but his swords did their jobs well and he sliced his way forward.

"Sokka!"

Sokka turned around in time to see a big, fierce looking man coming up behind him, but before he could do anything he disappeared to be replaced by his sister's small form. She smiled at him and twirled the water in her hands before running forward, tossing men aside with a giant water whip. Everyone followed behind her, taking men down when they came too close. Katara made sure Azula was right behind her because she was unarmed and everyone else surrounded her.

Aang brought up the rear, knocking away the guys that tried to attack them from behind since there was no way around Katara's water whip in the front. He would toss a boulder at them or water whip them away like Katara or just use his airbending. He looked up at the blacked-out sun, trying to determine how much time they had before it showed it's face again, and he guessed about a couple hours. He'd been through one once before when he was about 8 while he was visiting the Northern Air Temple with Monk Gyatso, but that was over 100 years ago and he couldn't recall exactly how long it had lasted then.

A spear came flying over the leading whip and was heading straight for Azula, but Zuko pulled her back and cut it into a few different pieces before it hit the ground. She gave him a confused look, but he pushed her forward and told her to keep moving. She looked ahead and could see the golden fire that tops the highest point of the palace just peaking over the hill in front of them. Her stomach lurched in joy.

"Katara, there it is! Let's go!" she yelled.

Katara's eyes flickered up to the sight in front of her and started running, splitting her whip into two seperate ones and moving the men out of the way faster. One of them was actually smart and ducked it, but fell to the ground as soon as Sokka saw him. He wiped his blade clean and continued to follow his sister through the mess of soldiers.

"This is too easy," Toph said to Aang as she paused to make the earth around them quake a little, which actually helped Katara out because it made the soldiers stop. "This is way too easy! It's like they're not even trying!"

"Maybe they're not experienced enough. Maybe they're all just out here with weapons to intimidate us or something because I think more than half these people are firebenders," he replied, knocking a couple more guys back that tried to run up from behind.

"Still, something's not right."

Aang ran to catch up to the group, who's speed was increasing steadily. He looked up and saw part of the Fire Palace. His stomach lurched in anxiety. It was almost time and he was suddenly very, very thankful for the loyalty of his friends, old and new. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for him now. Katara was taking out about 20 people at a time on each side of them to make a straight path to the palace. Sokka and Toph took out anyone who dodged the highly effective whip. Mai and Ty Lee were running behind Azula and Katara, Mai throwing the occasional shuriken at someone Sokka or Toph missed.

As the entirety of the Fire Palace came into view, the entire group's speed seemed to slow as if they really didn't want to get there. The soldiers only doubled in number and Katara was tiring but the eclipse was still out so she and Aang joined forces, putting their water together to encircle the group. Katara edged it with sharp ice and kept it moving so no one could get through.

"We should split up and keep moving!" Toph yelled, growing more nervous at how close the soldiers were getting now that Katara had stopping whipping them away.

"She's right, Katara," Sokka agreed. "You're tiring too fast doing all the work yourself. We'll split up and all head to the palace and attack from all sides."

She sighed and nodded. "Everyone brace yourselves. Azula, stay with me. We're going for the front gates." The princess didn't argue.

As soon as the water sheild fell, it split into two so that both waterbenders could make their own way. Everyone let out battle cries and ran in all directions, fighting the soldiers mercilessly. Ty Lee was having no problem at all with them. She was too quick and flexible for them to catch and they all fell to her hands, making a path of immobile soldiers in her wake. She made her way around the palace and jumped high enough to catch the edge of the surrounding wall, then pulled herself up and over and disappeared.

Sokka and Mai worked together to get to the palace wall. They had a significantly tougher time cutting through the massive army, but they managed well enough. After a few minutes of chopping through, Sokka sheathed his swords and got out his club and just started knocking people in their heads with it. It reverberated through their helmets and left their ears ringing.. well, it would when they came to. Mai was constantly throwing darts and stars and the occasional shuriken, but the downside was that she had to retrieve some to keep it up. She and Sokka were doing a lot of damage on their way to the other side of the palace. They had a bit of trouble getting through the wall, but surprisingly found a hole at the bottom just barely big enough for them to squeeze through.

Zuko and Aang worked together to make their own path to the wall. They were going around to the back since Katara had called the front gate. Aang would send a blast of air out to clear a path in the sea of faceless soldiers, then they'd run through it and Zuko would take down anyone who tried to get close to them. Aang left that part to him because he really didn't want to hurt anyone other than the one he'd come for. Zuko was panting by the time they got near the wall, but didn't stop. He kept swinging his swords and hoped that they'd wise up and leave them alone, but they didn't. One of them got a decent hit in when a smaller sword hit his leg, but he paid no mind to it and kept moving forward. When they reached the wall, Aang earthbended it open and they ran through, making sure to close it back so no one could follow.

Toph was kicking butt all on her own. A master earthbender like her could easily take on those fools because half of them didn't know what they were doing. She noticed they all had poor stances, all wrong for hand-to-hand combat, so they went down easily. A simple quake took a lot of them, but those with somewhat stronger stances tried to charge her. She punched both of her fists down and sunk into the ground, then came back up and rode a wave of earth to the part of the wall she felt Ty Lee go to. If they were going to split up, she figured it should be even. They would sneak in from 4 different sides of the palace. Surely they all knew to go to the throne room. As she rode her little wave, she thought she heard the distinct sound of arrows coming at her. She didn't stop, but pulled up enough earth to surround and protect her until she finally reached the wall. She ended up busting down a large portion of it just for fun, knowing that the soldiers wouldn't dare enter in fear of the Firelord.

Katara and Azula were having no problem at all getting through. Most of them seemed to recognize the princess and didn't dare fight, letting themselves be pushed back by Katara. The ones who didn't recognize her tried to fight and only ended up wounded or unconcious by a powerful blow from the waterbender. She felt the pull of nearby water and looked around for its source to find an entire ocean at her disposal just over a small hill. She looked over at her shoulder to Azula and tilted her head in that direction, then headed that way. Azula followed reluctantly, but she seemed to know what she was doing so she went along.

She concentrated hard as she ran closer and pulled, but the water didn't come. She ran closer still and kept trying to call the water until finally it peeked over the hill. With a smile, she turned back to Azula, still calling the water to her.

"Hold on to me," she told her. Azula looked ready to argue, but Katara beat her. "I know what I'm doing, just hold on! Hurry!"

Azula sighed and took Katara's outstretched hand, then her feet were trapped in ice and they went soaring through the air on a wave. She stifled a laugh as all the men that were chasing them turned and started running from them. It seemed as if Katara had brought up half the ocean with her because it was such a big wave. Even the guards standing at the front gates ran as Katara crashed through it. She brought the wave down but they were still surfing on the ice, leading the rest of the water along. Katara brought a hand forward and a stream of water followed, freezing to the palace doors and busting at her command. The water continued to follow them through the halls as Azula directed her to the throne room.

"Turn here!"

"Which way?"

"Right!"

"Is that it right there?"

"No, make another left!"

"Left?"

"Right!"

"Right?"

"No, left! That way!"

"Is that it?"

"Yes!"

The ice around their feet melted and Azula nearly fell over. Katara gathered all the water up and swirled it around her, careful to avoid the other 2 people that were there.

"Nice entrance, Katara."

She laughed, "Thanks, Aang. I had a little inspiration when I found the ocean."

"There you guys are!" They turned to see Toph, Sokka, Ty Lee, and Mai running up to them. "We had to take care of some people who found us," Toph explained. "Are we late?"

"You're just in time." Zuko unsheathed his swords and turned back to the doors to the throne room. "Let's do this."

Toph decided to be overdramatic and instead of letting them just open the doors, she stomped and punched out with both fists, busting the doors down with part of the wall around them. When they dust cleared, they entered. Aang looked around and as soon as his eyes set sight on a window, a beam of sunlight shone through it.

"Oh no," he whispered. He followed the beam with his eyes and they landed on a most intimidating figure.

"I've been expecting you, Avatar."

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**Freaking right! I'll have the next chapter up in a couple days so I won't leave you guys hanging too long, but I need reviews! Yay! I would've had this up yesterday, but it was my wedding anniversary so I wasn't home all day. :D You know the routine, R&R!**

**Jenn**

**_Miki - the moon  
Michiko - beauty/wisdom_**


	36. Chapter 36

_OMG over 60,000 hits! I noticed that I get at least 700+ hits on this story for every update. That's crazy. Thanks so much for joining me on this very long adventure. I appreciate every single review I've gotten (except the one cussing me for shipping Zutara) and I hope you all join me for my upcoming sequels to_ **Dear Diary** _and_ **CoD: The Plan Unfolds**_ (that's my conspiracy theory for Crossroads of Destiny, go check it out!). My last big story, I listed my most loyal reviewers, but there are so many of you in this one that it would take forever so **THANK YOU ALL**! I especially want to thank my very good friend and internet sister, _**katarawater25**_, for helping me through my block on this chapter. Now here it is. (sniffle)_

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"I've been expecting you, Avatar."

The dark figure moved forward a step into the light, his face still hidden in the shadows. Aang suddenly found it very hard to breathe and pulled at the neck of his shirt. Katara held the water around her ready for anything, but she was tensed up as the others were. Zuko looked at the sunlight and it finally clicked that he could use his bending now. His dual swords erupted in deep red, almost purple, flames, surprising everyone. Azula's smirk faltered a little, but held.

"I told you I would get them here, father," she sneered, stepping forward. "There was a little interference, but they're here. Enemies _and _traitors."

Ty Lee and Mai stared at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Did she make traitors plural?" Ty Lee whispered to Mai. She nodded and looked on, hurt shining in her eyes.

"Well done, Princess Azula," he replied, taking another step forward. "You've proven yourself worthy of your title."

Katara's eyes narrowed at the girl she'd just helped not moments before. "You betrayed us.." she seethed. Zuko looked down at her, worried at her tone. He could see the fire from his swords shining in her blue eyes and thought it suited her current mood.

"Did you honestly think I would stoop to your level, peasant?"

"I'm more a princess than you will ever be."

"And how do you figure that?"

"I don't have a heart of **ICE**!" she yelled, accentuating her point with a quick thrust of her arm; an ice dagger followed her command and went straight for Azula's heart. Azula was taken offguard and kicked her foot up a little late and it embedded itself in her leg. Katara ran at her with her water still around her, glad that she'd brought that much up with her, and knocked Azula against the hard wall and froze her there. Azula blew steam from her nose and melted the ice, sending a barrage of her own attacks at Katara.

"Katara, remember our fight at the North Pole!" Zuko yelled, remembering how he'd done the same thing.

"I don't need your help, Zuko!" she yelled back as she sent a dozen more ice daggers at Azula. She dodged them with little grace, still trying to remove the ice from her leg.

"Prince Zuko? Where is your mark, boy?"

He turned his attention to his father. "Let's say I made friends with some very powerful people. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For banishing me from this dishonorable nation."

Aang, who'd been watching the fight between Azula and Katara, turned to the rest of the gang. "You guys go stand guard outside in case anyone tries to come in and interfere. We'll be fine." He grabbed Toph's hand before she left and rubbed his thumb over it one last time before he let her go for good. He could see the tears in her eyes as she walked away with the others. When they were gone, he finally addressed the Firelord. "Your time here is done, Ozai. Step down or I'll be forced to remove you."

"You think you are powerful enough to defeat me, Avatar?"

"Now that the sun is out again, I'm 4 times as powerful as you are. I'm the Avatar." Aang glared at the man and Zuko stepped up to stand right next to him. "Plus, I've got extra help."

Ozai glared right back at them, then reared his head as fire spouted from his mouth. Aang had seen the same scene before while he was opening his chakras and didn't seem fazed by it. Zuko's grip on his flaming swords tightened and an uncharacteristic evil smile widened across his face. Aang noticed it and had to admit he looked rather intimidating, but so did his Avatar State.

Zuko glanced over to Katara and Azula's fight to make sure she was doing okay, then decided he was done waiting and made the first move. He swung his swords out one at a time, sending fire discs at Ozai. He pulled up a wall of fire and blocked them. Aang nodded at him, then pulled water from a nearby vase and doused the wall, giving Zuko a clear shot. One struck him right in the chest, but he didn't make any sound of pain.

Aang surrounded himself and Zuko in stone to block the fire blasts coming at them. He punched his wall and a stone went flying at Ozai, but a powerful blast turned it to rubble. Aang continued like that for a couple minutes, managing to get a decent hit or two. He noticed Zuko's leg was bleeding again and Zuko followed his gaze and shook his head, assuring him he was fine. Finally, Aang just sent their whole shield flying at Ozai, but he rolled out of the way just in time.

On the other side of the big room, Katara and Azula were still having it out. Katara was handling her pretty good, both of them being prodigies and what not. Everytime Azula would start to throw a fire blast, Katara would whip at her fingers or feet, dousing the flames that started to form there before they got too big. She let some of the water cover her body and extend off of her arms into thick, giant water whips. Azula started to blast from her left arm, but Katara was faster and engulfed her entire arm in the water and held it. Her right leg was about to kick flames out at her, but Katara engulfed that as well.

It was the first time since the night she joined their group that Katara had seen panic in her eyes. Azula was clearly being outmatched. She silently hoped her father wasn't watching them because he'd be disappointed in her. Katara lifted her off the ground and slowly let the water engulf the rest of her body except her head. Azula was stuck. She couldn't move to free herself and her mind started working hard to think of a way out of that.

She took a deep breath and fire burst from her mouth, severing the water ties holding her up. She fell to the ground, but still landed somewhat gracefully. The ice in her leg had finally melted and now the wound was bleeding freely, but she didn't pay attention as she ran at Katara. She had a new game plan: evaporate all of her water and she can't fight.

The hot blue flames now went after the water instead of Katara and she had the faintest idea of what Azula was trying to do. For some reason, it didn't bother her. There was a waterbending trick that she'd learned about that no one, not even Master Pakku, was immoral enough to attempt. Should all her water disappear, she would still have that trick. And that trick alone would most likely save her life.

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"I can't believe we got stuck with guard duty!" Toph moaned, pacing back and forth in the main entrance to the palace. "I wanted to be in the action!"

"Yeah, and why is Katara still in there?" Sokka asked no one in particular. "Aang just said he and Zuko were fighting. She should be out of there by now!"

Toph rolled her blind eyes at him. "She was fighting Azula when we left, I doubt they're done- hey, do you guys feel that?"

Ty Lee cocked her head. "Feel what?"

She knelt down and put her hands on the ground. "Something's coming."

As soon as she said it, part of the wall surrounding the palace exploded. Sokka, Ty Lee, and Mai started coughing on the dust that covered the area, but Toph pushed her hands downwards and the dust cleared immediately. A group of burly earthbenders stopped in front of them and lowered the big platform they'd been riding on.

Sokka narrowed his eyes at the leader. "General Fong? What are you doing here?"

Fong smiled when he noticed Sokka. "We are part of Operation Solar Eclipse. It didn't last nearly as long at we thought it was supposed to, but we took down most of the army before the sun showed up again. I suppose the Avatar is already here?"

"Yes, he is, though I don't see why you care," Sokka spat. "Who's in charge of this operation? Who else knew about the eclipse?"

"We were recruited by the new Earth King himself," he told them. "He said a young Miss Bei Fong informed him of the eclipse when he took the throne, so he put together an invasion plan."

Sokka looked down at Toph, who had a smug grin on her face. "Well, way to go, _Miss Bei Fong_."

"Hey Snoozles, taking down the Fire Nation is going to take more than just defeating the Firelord." She turned her attention to the general standing before them. "Where else are they attacking?"

"There were troops sent all along the coast of the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation infested towns and a couple more to the larger cities in both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. There was a rather large platoon sent to save Omashu as well. The eclipse is over already, so we can only hope everyone did their jobs in time."

"Hope is basically all we can do from here," said Ty Lee.

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A cloud of dust surrounded the three men, but still they battled. Zuko hadn't been able to get close enough to use his swords, but he held onto them anyway and let his firebending extend from them. He created two big fire whips when he saw Katara doing the same with her water across the room, then started lashing out at Ozai. While he was dodging them, Aang was sending water whips underneath them. When that wasn't proving effective, he tried to manuever the water under Ozai's feet and freeze it so he'd fall, but that didn't work either.

Aang punched his fist out and Ozai was knocked back when the stone in front of him shot up and hit him in the stomach. Dark laughter filled the room, but Katara and Azula were so enveloped in their fight they didn't seem to hear it. Ozai stood up and looked down at Zuko and Aang, who were standing in their ready stances.

"You've put up quite a fight, but enough nonsense now. It's time to stop playing around," he said as a flame formed in his hand.

Zuko sheathed his swords and the same evil grin came back as he glared at his father. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and concentrated hard. He could feel doors opening through his mind, his throat tingled, his fingers twitched, and the power surged through his entire body. When he opened his eyes, Aang was watching him with an astonished expression on his face. He chanced a glance down at himself to see his entire body drenched in light blue (almost white) flames, but it didn't hurt his skin or clothes.

He pointed at his father with a menacing blue-coated finger and said, "Azula may have been born lucky, but only those who work for it have true power. May Agni himself have no mercy on your soul, Lord Ozai." He'd never felt so powerful in his entire life and he enjoyed every second of it. And he fully intended to use his newfound power.

Azula had finally accomplished the rather challenging feat of evaporating Katara's large amount of water and she was now helpless.. or so she thought. Azula shot two large fireballs at her and she dodged them easily, but another one grazed her upper thigh. She hissed in pain and decided if she was going to use that dreaded trick, now would be the perfect time to seeing as Azula was doing the motions she recognized as lightning.

Katara held her hands out, her fingers spread apart evenly, and concentrated, feeling for the water source she knew was in front of her. When she finally felt it, she turned her hands palm up and lifted them. A scream rang through the entirety of the room as Azula rose off the ground, her lightning temporarily forgotten. Katara looked up to see Azula writhing in the air in a desperate attempt to break the hold the waterbender had on her. She straightened her fingers out and stopped Azula's squirming, then brought her down to her level, though just a couple inches above the ground.

"What are you doing to me?" Azula managed to ask her.

"Giving you what you deserve, _Princess_," Katara spat. "You know how easily I could kill you in this position? All I'd have to do is lift my hand and all the fluid leaves your body and you die instantly of dehydration. Or, and this one is good, I could use that fluid to fill your lungs and kill you. Tell me, which way do you prefer to die for your treachery to my friends?"

"I've failed," she whispered.

Katara was caught offguard by the statement. "What?"

"I've failed," she repeated a little louder. "I've failed to be the best, I've failed my nation, I've failed my family."

"You failed your family when you turned your back on your only brother," Katara told her, her brows furrowing. "You failed your family when you killed your own uncle. You failed your family when you betrayed your mother. And you only fail your nation if you don't look out for their best interest before your crazy father's. That's why Zuko joined us. He's only got the Fire Nation's best interest at heart, he's doing what he thinks is right for the nation and the world. Peace needs to be restored or the world will be thrown out of balance and all will be chaos for generations to come. Tell me, do you want that on your conscience, assuming you have one?"

"No," came her barely audible response. Katara was surprised to see tears brimming the evil girl's eyes. "I want the throne, but I can't lead a nation in chaos. All my life I've been so selfish, I've strived for power, tried numerous times to destroy the people in my way of getting what I want.. even my own friends. I would rather have Zuko as Firelord in a peaceful world than be on the throne myself and watch my people die because I wasn't thinking of them. Please, Katara.. help."

_She passed the crossroads of her destiny_, Katara thought as she relinquished her hold on Azula. The princess took that opportunity to move her limbs a little before following Katara unsteadily to the other fight. She was incredibly surprised to see her brother, the one she'd once thought weak, a living bluish white flame. He and Aang were attacking Ozai mercilessly and they all had their share of wounds. Aang's clothes were ripped across his torso and there was a burn mark there. Zuko had cuts along his legs and a noticable burn on the side of his neck. Ozai had cuts and bruises covering his arms, a giant bruise on his stomach, and two burn marks on his left leg.

Zuko took a deep breath and pushed both his arms and his breath out, fire shooting from his hands and mouth at the same time. It struck Ozai on his right arm as he tried to dodge it awkwardly. Aang stepped forward and clapped his hands together in front of him, a large, twirling, powerful stream of blazing orange fire blasting directly to where Ozai was dodging to. It hit him directly in the chest where the large bruise was and knocked him back against a wall with a sickening crunch that made Katara and Aang wince.

The boys were out of breath when Katara walked up to them, hugging them individually and uncaring of the sweat that now covered her clothes because of it. Aang grinned at her. "And I.. did it.. without.. the.. Avatar State.." he panted.

"I'm proud of both of you," she whispered, bringing both of them into the hug. They both hugged her back and Azula was left standing off to the side feeling uncomfortable but left out.

"Ahem."

All 4 of them turned to the doorway where Ursa and Alec stood, looking around the room at the wreckage. Ursa seemed hesitant to enter, but Alec tugged on her sleeve and pulled her inside. He instantly ran up to Katara and jumped into her arms and she eagerly returned the hug. Ursa, on the other hand, approached the still form of her husband. She bit her lip to hold back her tears as she knelt down beside him and observed the blood pooling on the floor beside him.

She jumped when a warm hand touched her shoulder and she turned to see Zuko standing over her. When she attempted to smile, a tear came out and he knelt beside her and hugged her. He knew how hard this was for her. He could only imagine what he'd be like if he ever lost Katara.

"We did it!" Toph yelled as she came running into the room with the others, including General Fong and his men. "The Fire Nation was stopped in the Earth Kingdom too! We did it! We won!"

She ran right up to Aang and hugged him, almost knocking him down in the process. He laughed and they victory danced happily around the room with Alec chasing them trying to join in. Katara took what was left of Aang's water and healed Azula's leg for her, then went to Zuko.

"Zuko, you need to be healed up a little," she said quietly. He nodded to her but kept comforting his mother. She placed her hand on his neck and healed the burn there, then moved to a couple other smaller injuries and healed what she could before her water ran out. "What happens now?"

"Now, the Fire Nation needs a ruler," he replied quietly. His mother wiped her eyes and backed away a little. "And since technically I'm still banished, Azula gets the throne."

"But you deserve it more." Azula came up behind them and looked down. "You worked harder for it, I just worked to destroy people for it. Our people would be so lucky to have someone so willing to betray his country and risk his life to save them. You can have it.. as long as I can keep my title, at least."

And Zuko smiled. For the first time in a long time, Zuko smiled a real smile for his little sister and he hugged her. Katara wanted to cry at the touching family moment, especially when Ursa joined them. They were a family again. Tears that had threatened to spill over finally did when her own brother hugged her, holding her as close as he could like he would lose her any second.

When all the hugs and cheers were over, everyone started out of the throne room. Azula said they needed to consult with the high council, but they decided they needed to take a breather before they got back into that stuff. As they were about to leave, Toph sensed movement. Azula picked up on her pause and turned just in time to see flames. She deflected it and hit him with lightning, silencing him for good.

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Zuko was crowned Firelord a couple weeks later and the new Fire Lady was crowned at their wedding on the winter solstice. It was both Zuko and Katara's happiest day, and even Hakoda was there to help his daughter through it. Sokka was on the verge of tears at the thought of no longer being able to protect her, but he knew Zuko was a good man and would lay down his life for her if need be.

Azula was kept in the palace and appointed personal advisor to her brother and head of the royal navy. With a little help from Aang, Toph, and Katara, the remaining living nations came together and signed a peace treaty. Katara visited her home in the Southern Water Tribe after Master Pakku declared the rebuilding complete. They'd built a room in the palace especially for her for when she decided to come for a visit.

Ursa and Alec were allowed to stay in the palace and Alec was finally united with his father, Lieuteniant Jee, at the wedding (Zuko had personally invited him). Toph visited home and explained everything, but her parents still wouldn't understand. Now she and Aang are traveling the Earth Kingdom together, dissipating all the rebellions that sprouted up, including Jet's own.

Prince Kenai was born a waterbender with physical firebender traits. It was the opposite when Princess Mika was born 3 years later. Zuko spends as much time with them as he can spare, wanting to be the complete opposite of his father no matter how much he looked like him. The siblings got along great most of the time, especially when teaming up to prank Uncle Sokka.

And they all lived happily ever after..

**NOT!**

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The last of my daughter's writing for this story. She was sad about it too lol.

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**Now I want to cry because it's over! It's just so sad! By the way, Kenai and Mika are property of** _Zutara-Shewolf777_ **(deviantART member). I wrote a one-shot featuring them, so go to my profile and check out Drabbles, Anyone? for that. Actually, check out all my stories.. and my deviantART account.. and my website.. and my daughter's pictures.. :D Remember me, damn it! I just got a new car and now I have to get a job, so I won't have time for a sequel but if you feel like writing a sequel and you think you could do a good job with it, let me know and you'll have my permission!**

**And I appreciate all the reviews I get that tell me I'm the greatest author on this site. I know I'm not (Spleef is!), but they're welcome compliments!**

**Until next time, you know the routine. R&R!**

**Jenn**


	37. A Thank You from the Author

First of all, I wanted to thank you all for every single review submitted to this story. It means a lot to get so many reviews, even more to see how many favorited it. There is a sequel on the way, but since I've been working I haven't found much time to work on it so you'll have to be very, very patient with me on that. 

Now for the big news that only the people who read my drabbles know. _Fire Behind Blue Eyes_ is being edited and re-posted on my deviantART account! If you want to read the updated version, there is a link to my dA profile in this profile (since we can't post links here). I know a lot of you are dA members so it would be wonderful of you to fave it. I even do a little fanart now and again, so you could watch for that as well.

Once I'm done with FBBE over there, I'll post the sequel there and here and update both at the same time so no one gets left behind. I'm cool like that. And for those of you who read my other works, the sequels to _Dear Diary_ and _CoD: The Plan Unfolds_ are coming up as well so keep an eye out and thanks again for all your wonderful support!

**Jenn**


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